Coronavirus: Brewery gives away beer left lying around during lockdown

A brewery has been giving away beer after it was left with excess stock because of the coronavirus lockdown.

In an offer that seems to good to be true, Alnwick Brewery Company in Northumberland has decided it’s better than pouring it away.

Sales director Jannick Genouw told Sky News they were stuck with the beer when the coronavirus lockdown began and because it was in casks there was not much that could be done with it.

“So there were two options,” he said.

“We can either put it down the drain, or actually come up with a plan of distributing it to the local community.”

The brewery has already run two events, with people clamouring to get their hands on the local brew, and will give more away at the local market.

Mr Genouw said: “People were coming to the brewery with containers and getting fresh pints out of the hand pumps, and we’ve done that couple of times already and we are just about to do our third one now… so it’s been very successful.”

The brewery has been asking people for donations for the NHS and has so far raised £500.

People have been encouraged to collect the beer in their own containers.

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Mr Genouw said some of the containers had been rather “innovative”, ranging from milk bottles and foldaway containers to fizzy drink bottles.

“It’s varied between a litre to five litres,” he said.

“Some people have come to the event and collected beer for people that are isolated, so they can drop it off at people’s doors in the villages. It’s been quite fun,” added Mr Genouw.

“And lots of key workers as well – we are located right next to the NHS Northumbria offices – they have been coming to visit… which is really nice to see.”

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Brewery gives away beer left lying around during lockdown