In our new series called ‘Shine a Light’ beer communicator James Beeson picks up the spotlight to showcase some brilliant beers, the breweries, processes - both practical and creative and most importantly the people behind them.

First up Donzoko’s collaboration with Hop Hideout and forty UK independent beershops - Indie Graft.

Shine a Light: Indie Graft

I absolutely adore the pub. I go absolutely ga-ga for pints. I think I might actually be in love with cask ale. It may come as a surprise to you, therefore, when come July 4th, I found myself not stood with a pint in a beer garden, but placing yet another order online with my local bottleshop.

Bottleshops have been my saviour throughout lockdown, and for many independent breweries, they’ve also been a lifeline when other routes to market closed. One such brewery is Donzoko, the one-man tour de force that is Reece Hugill. Donzoko found itself unable to access grant support for his business, and without the loyalty of his customers and local bottleshops who continued to order, would surely have not survived the last few months.

Hop Hideout has long championed Donzoko’s beers, and saw an opportunity to collaborate with Reece on a beer to champion the independent beer shop sector. Pulling together support from a group of like-minded retailers, owner Jules Gray suggested a collaboration that celebrates the symbiotic relationship between brewery and retailer.

The collaboration is a vinous version of Donzoko’s hoppy Belgian inspired pale, Graft. Brewed with Nelson Sauvin and fermented with Beaujolais wine yeast, its available exclusively through independent beer retailers across the country.

Out of the can, the beer pours a pale, translucent yellow, with a huge, fluffy white head that has become Donzoko’s signature. Glowing gently in the setting Saturday sunshine, it’s an appealing prospect. A generous dosing of Nelson in the dry hop means that on the nose, Indie Graft is a pure gooseberry and grape, with a hint of freshly mown grass. A malt bill featuring spelt and buckwheat creates a full bodied, silky and pillow-soft mouthfeel, almost NEIPA-esque despite the obviously vinous quality running through the beer.

To taste, there’s more rich, fruity, gooseberry and white-wine flavours, balanced delicately with notes of banana, bubblegum and just an edge of pepper. It finishes off-dry, with a moderate astringency that leaves you thirsting for another gulp. Ironically, Indie Graft is exactly the kind of beer that demands to be drunk in the pub by the pint. It’s supremely balanced, effortlessly refreshing yet subtly complex.

James Beeson is an award-winning beer writer and photographer. To see more of his work follow him on Twitter and Instagram for posts.

Grab a can of Indie Graft from Hop Hideout.

Indie Graft - our Jules has been working hard to bring a positive celebration out of the horrible last few months...

Indie Graft beer collaboration with Donzoko Brewing and over 40 independent UK beer shops celebrates their sector in the beer landscape with a big collective cheers!

Join in the cheers, Sat 18th July: Indie Graft, support your local beer shop

Independent beer shops have ridden the rollercoaster of the pandemic, continuing to operate within Government guidance on the sector through this hugely challenging time. Managing to traverse this situation has been tough emotionally, economically and physically for many in the sector. Though the driving passion to keep their customers smiling has always been the ultimate goal and shown the indie beer shop sector as a vital link and valuable connection between brewery and customer within their communities.

The sector has a high number of owner-operators and that has meant no story is the same as individual businesses have had to plan differently. Overall it’s been a mixed outcome for the sector with some beer shops choosing to close for health and personal safety reasons, some pivoting business models to completely online sales, others maximising on multi-sales channel selling through online/off sales/growler fills/home deliveries and others running forced reduced hours due to operating within shared spaces such as markets and food halls. Creating significant stress and anxiety within the sector. You can read more on a number of retailers’ individual stories via off-trade publication Drinks Retailing’s series ‘Beer Shops Under Lockdown‘ online.

The stress has rippled throughout the beer sector and affected everyone on many levels. One brewery in particular who chimed with the struggles was Donzoko, who, being an owner-operator and small brewery located within a business enterprise park has been unable to access grant support and has faced similar challenges to keep his business operating.

To champion the indie beer shop sector and highlight the vibrancy they bring to the high street, their communities, to the local economy and support they give to breweries this beer collaboration was suggested by Sheffield based beer shop Hop Hideout’s owner Jules Gray to a group of like-minded retailers; with a resounding yes. The collaborative beer is a riff on one of Donzoko’s core beers and is aptly named Indie Graft.

The twist on Graft sees dry-hopping with Nelson Sauvin variety which has a white grape and gooseberry like quality boosting the profile achieved from the fermentation with Beaujolais wine yeast and kicking the abv up to 4.7%. This vinous version of Donzoko’s hoppy Belgian inspired pale, Graft, will be available exclusively through independent beer retailers from early July 2020.

On Saturday 18th July, 7.30pm, the group welcomes everyone to raise a beer and a collective cheer to their local community and beer shop. Purchase Indie Graft as locally as you can and join in the free online tasting with Donzoko Brewing, Hop Hideout and indie beer shop friends.

Find out more: https://www.donzoko.org ; use our hashtag on socals to join in #IndieGraft and search your local beer shop here https://tinyurl.com/IndieGraft

Reece Hugill (Donzoko Brewing),

“Not accessing any grant support and having all our revenue streams cut, really hit hard. But seeing people turn to their small independent shops and producers is really good to see. This beer is a celebration of that, sticking together and grafting to keep people in good beer.”

Jules Gray (Hop Hideout),

“This beer collab not only celebrates the hard-working people and businesses in the sector, but is also an exciting exploration of beer and wine hybridisation, showcasing the experimentation within the industry plus the thirst from our customers for that too. Having kept people in good beer, acted as community hubs and grafted through the Covid-19 pandemic this Indie Graft beer will provide a much needed toast to all the hardwork pushing through those gruelling moments.”

Tasting to be hosted on Donzoko Brewing Co Instagram Live - follow @DonzokoBeer and @HopHideout

BUY from Hop Hideout: https://www.hophideout.co.uk/uk-beer/2020/7/8/indiegraft-4pack-can-glass-donzoko