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Great Ale Since 1843
In 1860 a newspaper advertisement announced a range of Arkell's ale for sale. 4X was 1/8 per gallon, 3X 1/4, XX 1/-, X 8d and for just 6d you could buy a gallon of Table Ale. Those beers have long since gone, but today's beers are still brewed by similar methods and the choice is even greater.
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All of our regular beers rely on Goldings and Progress whole hops for bitterness, while Fuggles hops provide that magical hoppy aroma.
One of the main reasons why our beers have such a distinctive flavour is that we are still using the same strain of yeast that we introduced in the 1930s. We have four main beers which we brew all year round, four seasonal beers - for spring, summer, autumn and winter - plus a magnificent Christmas ale. We also brew special commemorative beers. Arkell's is a year-round beer festival for the discerning drinker.
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Launched in October 2001, Bee's is Arkell's first organic ale - and was recently voted 'Organic Ale of the Year'.
Organically-grown malted barley, hops and, unusually, organically-produced
honey are used in the brew. These give this golden premium bottled ale a light,
fresh taste - with the organic honey providing a delightful and surprising flavour.
ABV: 4.5%
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Formerly called BB or John Arkell Bitter, this is our lighter beer, described as "Fine quaffable session bitter" in the 'Real Ale Drinker's Almanac'. Made from 92% pale malt, 6% crystal malt and 2% sugar, it has a light, hoppy aroma and is a thirst-quenching beer with a slightly tart taste and a dry hop finish. 2B is a low gravity drinking beer which is nevertheless full of flavour. It has been brewed constantly since the early 1900s and was Arkell's most popular brew until it was overtaken by 3B in the 1970s. 2B is also available in bottles when it is known simply as Light Ale.
ABV: 3.2%
3B
Arkell's Best Bitter Beer, as it was originally known, was
first brewed in 1910 and has been affectionately known as BBB or 3B by customers
ever since. (One Swindon landlord will tell you that 'BBB' stands for "Big Boy's
Beer".)
Today, 3B is renowned by Britain's beer lovers as a superb, amber brew with a very distinctive taste and a sweet scent of malt beneath the hops. Pale malt makes up 88% of the dry ingredients along with 10% crystal malt and 2% sugar. According to the 'Real Ale Drinker's Almanac', 3B has "delicate, beautifully balanced malt and hop with lingering dry finish and hint of nut".
ABV: 4%
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Kingsdown Ale is the strongest of our regular beers but is a brother to 3B as it comes from the same mash. It retains a strong character of its own, however, with its rich colour, ripe fruit 'nose' and that traditional Arkell's hoppiness. You can taste the malt too, along with a bitter-sweet finish and fruit notes. 'Kingsdown', which is named after the area of Upper Stratton where the brewery is situated, was originally brewed as a special beer to commemorate Swindon Town Football Club's League Cup triumph in 1969 and went into regular production in 1976.
Also available in bottles.
ABV: 5%
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Satisfying the modern demand for 'smooth' beers, what better to call one of the smoothest beers around than simply 'Smooth'? This is the newest addition to the Arkell's range and retains that characteristic Arkell's flavour while also delivering the silky texture that many of our customers enjoy. Its lower alcohol content makes it a lighter alternative to other 'smooth' beers which are available.
ABV: 3.6%
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Brewed in 2003 to celebrate the 80th birthday of Arkell's Chairman,
Peter Arkell OBE. Specially called 'Moonlight' in commemoration of Peter's missions
flying low-level sorties over France in 1943, picking up agents in central occupied
France during the full moon period.
This beer has been brewed using a special blend of malts and English Fuggles and Susan hops to give a beautiful golden colour, lingering taste and toasty aroma.
ABV: 4.5%
Also available in bottles. ABV: 5%
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