Made Glorious Summer: US, Belgian and UK Brewers Unite

This summer, Thornbridge Brewery and Brasserie de la Senne are joining forces on a new release, brewed on Thornbridge's historic Burton Union system as part of the Garrett Oliver and Friends series. The collaboration brings together Garrett Oliver (Brooklyn Brewery) and Yvan De Baets (Brasserie de la Senne), two old friends, both "knights" of Belgium's ancient brewer's guild, who have somehow never brewed together until now.

Garrett's starting point was Thornbridge’s Wild Swan profile: pale, hoppy, and built for drinkability. From there, the brief leaned saison-ish in character, but achieved through process rather than yeast alone. The plan was raw wheat and/or oats for texture, a meaningful dose of Fonio (the sustainable African grain), an aggressive mash program to drive fermentability, a touch of unconventional hops, and a warm-ish fermentation finishing at 5.8% ABV.

Yvan brought his own research to the table as he is currently re-reading the work of George Maw Johnson, an English brewer who relocated to Belgium in the late 19th century with a mission to modernise Belgian brewing using the more advanced scientific knowledge available in Britain at the time. Years later, Johnson returned the favour, sharing what he'd learned from Belgian brewers about making light beers well, back to British brewers who needed it. It's a nice historical mirror for a collaboration moving in the same direction over a century later. On the recipe itself, Yvan was aligned with Garrett on using unmalted wheat, a defining feature of historic Belgian brewing, suggesting somewhere around 15%, with oats at roughly 5%, alongside the fonio. He also floated the idea of a more complex, Belgian-style mashing schedule if continental Pilsner malt was being used and was happy to lean on an English yeast strain, pointing out that many so-called "Belgian yeasts" are actually of English origin in the first place. For hops, Yvan's pick was Slovenian Celeia, paired with the newer English variety Jester for its bright citrus and floral character.

The finished product is a Special Pale Ale brewed with African fonio grain and continental Pilsner malt, with oats and unmalted wheat added for a classic Belgian touch. Slovenian Celeia hops and English Jester hops bring bright citrus, floral notes, and a subtle earthiness, while a characterful English yeast delivers gentle fruity esters and a clean, dry finish. The result is a beer that sits right at the intersection of Belgian tradition and British brewing heritage, built on a genuine, decades-long friendship, and a shared history of two brewing cultures learning from each other.

The cans will be launched in our July Beer Club, with the casks following later in the month.