Devonport Column toasts reopening with its very own brand new ale.

With excitement building around the fast approaching reopening of Devonport Column on 11 May, Plymouth’s oldest brewery is adding to the revelry by releasing a brand new brew. Commissioned by the Column’s new ‘guardians’, the Real Ideas Organisation (RIO), the refreshing ‘Column Ale’ from Summerskills will launch as and locals flock once more to the rejuvenated Column to climb its dizzying 124 feet and appreciate breathtaking views of the city.

Summerskills, Plymouth’s award winning brewers of real ale, has concocted the new beer as a local homage to the much loved and sorely missed landmark. Whist the Column escaped damage during the war, it has been closed to the public since 1992. Now thanks to an £800,000 regeneration project led by the Real Ideas Organisation (RIO) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), the Column will be open to sightseers once again, standing proudly next to the Devonport Guildhall.

For the new Column Ale, Summerskills have purposefully blended a traditional classic ale with one of their lighter, more modern beers to create a vibrant new mix. Summerskills’ Owner David Lewis, famously known as Norm, says,

“Like the rejuvenation of Devonport, our new brew has been specially created to reflect the marriage of old and new which is something we are also delighted to see RIO doing in the area. Our Column Ale has our usual blend of Devonshire barley and water with English hops and yeast to create a golden, zesty, clean-tasting beer. By using these fresh, but timeless ingredients, we are providing RIO and the surrounding community with their own unique flavour and balance in this brew. It’s been a fantastic project to be involved with and I’m personally very much looking forward to toasting the reopening with a pint in my hand.”