Real ale is on the up as Surrey-based Hogs Back reveals three seasonal cask ales to take drinkers through the autumn, offering styles for all tastes from easy-drinking bitters to darker ruby ales and porters.

The brewer’s Home Harvest Pale went on sale earlier this month. A four per cent ABV, well-balanced ale, Home Harvest is brewed using only the three hops grown in Hogs Back’s hop garden: Fuggles, Cascade and Farnham White Bine – the latter a local variety that the brewer rescued from near extinction.

Also on sale now is Ratfink & RipSnorter, a new, five per cent rich, ruby ale with spicy notes and hints of plum, making it a perfect drink for chillier evenings. Ratfink & RipSnorter has been pouring in Wetherspoon pubs this month as part of its annual real ale festival.

Later in the autumn, Hogs Back will be launching a new beer, Blackwater Plum Porter, following the success of Blackwater Porter introduced in March this year. The plum version is a four per cent, well-rounded porter with fruity, sweet notes and the perfect drink to enjoy as the autumn sets in.

All beers will be available in Hogs Back’s brewery tap or from its shop in reusable glass flagons – snorters containing 3.5 pints or snifters of 1.75, as part of the brewer’s ongoing sustainability programme.

MD Rupert Thompson said: “Debate about the future of cask ale has raged for as long as I can remember – and I've been in the brewing industry a while! Whatever the long-term outlook for the category, we can report that, among our core drinkers, there is still strong demand for our cask ales.

“Our seasonal programme is an important part of what we offer these drinkers, who enjoy being the first to try a new beer in the Tap. We’re very happy with our autumn line up, which offers a wide range of tastes and eases drinkers into the darker, richer styles of the festive season.”

“Like many brewers, we saw our cask sales dip during Covid and it took a us a while to recover that business. We’re pleased that we’ve now rebuilt our on-trade presence, with pubs across Surrey, London and the South-East stocking our permanent and seasonal cask ales.”