Ossett Brewing is toasting 25 successful years with a series of special cask ales as sales continue to grow despite market challenges. 

The Yorkshire brewer began life in 1998 on a five-barrel-brew-length kit behind the Brewer’s Pride pub in Ossett, West Yorkshire. Within three years, brewing capacity was 40 barrels a week.

Winning many national and international awards, today’s modern brewery stands only a short distance from the original site in Low Mill Road, producing an eclectic range of cask ale and lager.

The company now produces 440 brewers-barrels a week, serving a pub estate of 35 outlets, free trade and national customers all over the UK.

Launching the celebrations, the first of a four-strong Silver Series of anniversary ales rolls out the end of this month: a premium golden ale, Dazzler (4.5 per cent ABV).

First brewed in the Summer of 1998, Dazzler was one of the very first Ossett beers. Now, 25 years later, this is an updated version of an old favourite, but with more hops. Lots more hops. Golden Promise malt creates a premium golden pale ale with bready and biscuity flavours. WGV (Whitbread Golding Variety) hops grown in Kent are added at three stages of the brewing process to produce the floral and herbal aromas characteristic of the best English ales.

The second roll out will be Easy Does It (3.4 per cent), an easy drinking session summer bitter; clear pale straw in colour and full-bodied with hints of peach, pineapple and passion fruit on the aroma and a balanced dry, citrus bitterness in taste delivered from new British Harlequin and American Citra hops.

A third brew for the autumn is Alter Ego (5.5 per cent), exploring the NEIPA (New England India Pale Ale) style and proclaimed as a “souped up” dry-hopped mutation of Ossett’s highly popular White Rat (4 per cent); hazy, straw-coloured, with the aroma of orange, peach and grapefruit from the Cascade, Amarillo and Columbus American hops which deliver a perfect bitter-sweet balance.

A vanilla stout concludes the celebrations. The Irish stout style Jet (4.2 per cent) is black with vanilla, chocolate and coffee notes on the aroma and a dry and bitter finish from roasted malts joined with the French Savinjski Goldings hops and US Chinook. Distinctive pump clips for the series display red and silver lettering on a black background.

Each month there are collaboration brews, featuring pioneering ales such as Rose Petal IPA, brewed jointly with Adnams using the new UK Mystic hop. Alongside is a Single Hop series of pale ales exploring hops from the UK, USA, New Zealand, France and Germany.

The company was originally founded as a brewpub in 1998 by Bob Lawson, a former brewer at Joshua Tetley in Leeds. Son Jamie founded an independent pub group, Izakaya Pub Co alongside the brewery in 2003 which later merged into the Ossett brewing group.

Ossett owner Jamie Lawson (pictured) said: “These post pandemic times have been particularly challenging for the brewing and pub industry. However, the past two years have seen us enjoy steady growth and we are now delighted to be celebrating our milestone 25th year with our Silver Series.

“We believe in the future of cask ale and are determined to build on our deep roots to sustain Ossett for the future through broadening the appeal of cask with inventive and exciting brands – as seen with our Silver Series, Synergy Series, Collaboration Ales and our Single Hopped programme as well as the all-time favourites that sit within our core range.”