First ever lager brewed by Cleobury Mortimer brewers a testament to wind power and sustainability

Hobsons Brewery is celebrating a new chapter with the launch of Zephyr, the first lager ever brewed by Hobsons, and a beer which it said was not only redefining the brewery’s keg range, but doing so powered by the wind.

Hobsons said the lager was born from its commitment to sustainability and innovation and delivers a moreish flavour profile with a subtle back-end bitterness, with its clean, pale appearance reflecting its essence as a soft, gentle lager.

A spokesperson said: "The name 'Zephyr' was inspired by the gentle breeze that embodies our commitment to sustainability and the natural world. Here at the brewery, we’re fortunate to have our own wind turbine, affectionately known as 'Wendy', which generates a quarter of the energy we use to produce our beers.

"Wendy is a vital part of our sustainability journey, helping us reduce our carbon footprint while brewing beers that remain true to our ethos. It felt only fitting to honour her by letting her spirit inspire the name and branding of Zephyr lager."

Hobsons said it was a bold move for a brewery rooted in traditional cask ale, saying that a ‘change of the winds’ has been seen across pubs in the region - and that it shows Hobsons can turn its hand to keg beers, and do it well.

The new beer has also transformed the look and feel of the keg offering from the brewery, and seen it introduce its first product-specific point-of-sale kit.

This includes a Zephyr-only single-branded font, which is the first of its kind for the brewery, branded Zephyr glassware and coordinated beer mats, a bar runner, and eye-catching ‘brewed by wind’ magnets.

A spokesman for Hobsons said: "Zephyr's crisp branding and sleek presence at the bar inspired a full visual refresh of Hobsons' wider keg line-up. 

"The result is a unified identity across the keg range, with each beer now with its own distinctive, single-branded font and modernised badge design, meaning it is visually aligned and instantly recognisable."

Junior marketing manager Kyle Gittins said: "This is a lager that’s blown in change.

"Zephyr is a first for us in many ways as it's our first in house brewed lager, our first dedicated keg font, and the first time we’ve completely unified our keg branding. 

"This development is brilliant for Hobsons as it elevates our offering and perfectly complements the fantastic, more traditional cask beer that we’re known for. 

"Zephyr is more than a new beer. It’s a fresh perspective, a signpost for the future and a celebration of how sustainability, good design and great taste can all pour from the same tap."