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What pints have Glastonbury’s most famous bands drunk?

15 March 2024 By Sarah Neish

Brothers Cider has confirmed it will continue its longstanding gig as official cider sponsor for the music festival in 2024. But which other drinks have filled band members’ pint glasses over the years?

Brothers Cider has been served at Glastonbury since 1995, when festival organiser Michael Eaves first offered the Somerset brewer a stand at the event to serve only perry-based drinks.

By all accounts pear cider was a tough sell at the time, but sales must have picked up (and Brothers allowed to add apple cider to the menu) as by 2007 Brothers had signed a five-year deal to become the event’s official cider sponsor from 2007-2011, alongside Carlsberg as official beer sponsor, which signed a similar deal for the same time period.

Fast forward to 2014, however, and Brothers had been ousted by Thatcher’s Cider, which subsequently headlined the festival for the next four years (2014-2018), pouring its “traditional, oak aged ciders” to punters straight from the barrel.

Glastonbury kept the reason for the switch-up strangely quiet, and then in a spectacular U-turn made by festival organisers in 2019 Brothers snatched back the top spot for its Mallets Cider, leaving Thatcher’s back out in the cold. At the time, founder Martin Thatcher said: “We’ve had a great time working with Glastonbury Festival over the past few years…This year we won’t be there as the official cider to the festival, as partnerships like this do always change.”

Eaves hinted that the reason for bringing Brothers back into the fold was because “it’s very important to have a local producer of cider at the festival, showcasing some of the best cider Somerset has to offer.”

Winscombe-based Thatcher’s Cider is 35mins down the road from Worthy Farm, whereas the Brothers cider mill is located just three miles from the festival site.

Since then, Brothers has managed to hang onto the official cider title, and will this year champion its Festival Apple Cider at Glastonbury 2024 in June, with the drink served both on draught at bars across the festival and in 500ml cans. Other ciders within the range, including Un-Berrylievable and Best of the Zest, will also be sold in 500ml cans.

“Glastonbury Festival is in our DNA,” said Nicola Randall, head of marketing, Brothers Drinks Co., after the sponsor’s continuation was confirmed.

“Brothers Cider was born at Glastonbury and raised in Somerset,” she added. “Brothers is independent, British and local; the four brothers the brand takes its name from are fourteenth-generation cider-makers and our apples are from award-winning, historic local orchards.

“We’re thrilled to be at Glastonbury Festival yet again as official cider and to be able to offer our new flavour range to Festival-goers.”

Beer sponsors

The road to becoming official beer sponsor for the music festival has also taken several twists and turns, albeit under the Carlsberg brand banner.

In 2010 Tuborg, owned by Carlsberg, bagged the official spot. Tuborg was replaced in 2019 by Carlsberg Danish Pilsner and in 2023 Carlsberg’s Brooklyn Pilsner stepped into the spotlight. Festival organisers confirmed to db that Brooklyn Pilsner will once again be front and centre for 2024’s event.

“Becoming the Official Beer of Glastonbury in one year since launch is a great achievement for the brand,” said John Clements, vice president marketing at Carlsberg Marston’s Brewing Company, last year.

Take a look below for an idea of what was swilling in the pint glasses of the world’s biggest music artists at Glastonbury over the last 17 years.