Three Choughs a priest and a Saison walk into a bar
If you’ve visited this site before you’ll remember the story about Canterbury Brewers & Distillers/The Foundry Brew Pub collaboration with Canterbury Christchurch University.
Read more: https://kentgreenhopbeer.com/2020/09/18/seriously-saison-a-priest-and-a-treble-ipa-walk-into-a-bar/
The hops are grown on the campus which lies within the precincts of St Augustine’s Abbey (part of the Canterbury UNESCO world heritage site).
The campus contains the remains of monks’ medieval brew-house, where the harvested hops are blessed each year before being walked through the city to Jon at Canterbury Brewers and Distillers, Foundry Brew Pub.
They have brewed a beer with Canterbury Christchurch University again with the heritage hops grown on the University. The chough (Phyrrhocorax phyrrhocorax) was once a common sight on Kent’s chalk cliffs. These wonderful glossy black birds with striking red bills and legs have however retained their hold on our imagination through the presence of the three choughs on the coat of arms of the City of Canterbury, adopted from the crest attributed to St Thomas (known as Becket) the murdered archbishop.
The good news is that these birds may soon be reintroduced to the chalk grassland in and around Dover.
A chough also features on the crest of Canterbury Christ Church University where the hops used in this green hop ale were tended and picked by our students and staff as part of our celebration of our unique position within the Canterbury UNESCO World Heritage Site. The University has a strong tradition of teaching and researching ecology and landscape studies.
They have also brewed their favourite beer of the year, Seriously Saison with the wonderful East Kent Goldings.
