Smooth Radio tunes in to ale

A UK radio station has launched its very own beer in an effort to raise funds for a local children’s hospice.

Regional Midlands station Smooth Radio launched the beer at Nottingham Castle this week in advance of Nottingham’s ‘Robin Hood’ Beer Festival which gets underway on Thursday.
 
The Smooth Radio Ale was delivered to the castle gates by a knight in shining armour riding a white charger, from self-proclaimed "oldest pub in England", ‘Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem’ and given to the Sheriff of Nottingham and Robin Hood to taste.

The station has joined forces with the Nottingham Brewery of Radford to produce the new beer, a mid-amber 3.9% brew which is triple hopped.

Breakfast host Eamonn Kelly was even the guest brewer for the first ten barrel run, and tested the new ale on his breakfast show with Phil Darby from Nottingham Brewery of Radford and Rosie St John-Lowther, manager of ‘Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem’.

Ten pence from each pint sold will go to support the Rainbows Children’s Hospice, Smooth Radio’s charity of the year. The hospice supports children and young people with life-threatening and life-limiting conditions across the east Midlands.
 
Smooth Radio’s station director Sam Fielding said: “This is an exciting project for the station, and Smooth Radio is delighted to have its very own real ale. I’m really looking forward to seeing Smooth Radio Ale on the pumps across the east Midlands.”

Phil Darby added: “We hope the uptake from consumers will be good as the support we have currently received from the brewing industry.”

Look out for the specially designed Smooth Radio Ale pump clips in pubs and bars across the East Midlands over the coming weeks.

Alan Lodge, 07.10.2009