Introducing Fuller’s Past Masters

In First Draught 42 we briefly introduced you to our new range of beers Past Masters. But here is a little more detail into the beer and how such a range came about.

Ever since Fuller’s was formed in 1845, a brewing book has been used to detail every beer ever brewed at our home in Chiswick, West London. The recipes have been recorded in meticulous detail, documenting the profound skills of generations of Master Brewers. 

Today, John Keeling, Fuller’s Head Brewer, Derek Prentice, Brewing Manager and their brewing team, have the opportunity of recreating these very special beers through the new Past Masters series. The first beer to be selected is a beer called XX Strong Ale.  XX Strong Ale, is a bottle conditioned beer brewed to 7.5% ABV that dates back to 2nd September 1891. This dark, rich deeply satisfying beer is a true treat for any beer lover looking for a truly traditional English Ale.

But whilst the recipes in the books are recorded in great detail, being able to replicate the exact ingredients used could have proved more difficult. Fortunately Ron Pattinson, brewing historian, and Peter Simpson, from Simpson’s Malt were able to aid the team in their quest to resurrect this classic brew and replicate each item as closely as possible.

Past Masters is a very exciting challenge for John and his team, and they are keen to show off these beers from the past. John Keeling said: “Our brew books are very old, very thick and there are lots of them. When we first sat down with Ron to identify a suitable recipe, we could have been there for days as we kept finding fascinating insights into the work of my brewing predecessors. For instance there were brews which used no English malts at all – in the 19th century. There are brewers doing that today and calling it innovation, I call it a rediscovering of the past.”

If you would like to get hold of some of this beer, then visit the Fuller’s online shop and you can order a case to enjoy in the comfort of your own home. There will also be further recipes released in the near future, so watch this space!

And as an extra treat here is a little video that looks at the development of Past Masters. We hope you enjoy.