The Draught Beers and Ciders list at The Grapes Café Bar

Traditional ales and award-winning lagers. Brewed by craftsmen for connoisseurs

MASTER BREW BITTER

This is the beer that Shepherd Neame is best known for in the brewery's Kentish heartland - a distinctive, mid-brown bitter ale, with all the hoppy aroma you'd expect of a beer brewed in the heart of the hop country. Well balanced, with a taste that's been described as "wonderfully aggressive, tinged with sweetness".

Master Brew is brewed using only the finest Kentish barley and hops, and is the best-selling cask ale brewed in Kent.

Tasting notes:
A clean, dry, refreshing, session bitter, having a touch of sweetness, but displaying an assertive and vibrant hop with a lingering bitter finish.
Tasting notes by Peter Ogie, Famous Beer Writer

ABV:
Cask - 3.7% , Bottle - 4.0%

SPITFIRE PREMIUM KENTISH STRONG ALE

Spitfire has been Shepherd Neame's runaway success story of the past decade, with soaring sales spurred by quirky World War 11-themed advertising which has won awards, hit the headlines, and had consumers clamouring for more. Originally produced in 1990 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Battle Of Britain, Spitfire has a lingering malt and hop flavour, with a well-balanced, lasting aftertaste.

Spitfire is now Shepherd Neame's biggest-selling cask conditioned ale

Tasting notes:
Crafted from traditional varieties of English malt, this golden ale combines an underlying depth of maltiness, tinged with a subtle hint of toffee, with the bold citrus and fruity spiciness of Kentish hops, to produce a well-balanced, thirst quenching, popular drink.
Tasting notes by Peter Ogie, Famous Beer Writer

ABV:
Cask - 4.5%, Bottle - 4.5%

 

 

BISHOPS FINGER KENTISH STRONG ALE

Full-bodied with complex fruit flavours, Bishops Finger is a strong premium cask-conditioned ale brewed to a traditional Kentish recipe. What's behind the name? Well, a Bishops Finger is an unusual finger-shaped signpost still found in Kent, which once pointed pilgrims on their way to Canterbury. Only the finest malted barley, Kent hops and fresh water from our own artesian well are used in the production of one of Britain's best-loved ales, which is also exported in bottles to more than 30 countries worldwide.

Tasting notes:
The dominant character of this premium ale is its generous, fruity flavour, reminiscent of bananas and pears with citrus overtones. A full-bodied, nut-brown, nourishing ale with a lingering hoppy finish, an ideal companion to food, or it can serve as a delicious digestive after a meal. Registered under EC Regulation - Protected Geographical Indications (PGI).
Tasting notes by Peter Ogie, Famous Beer Writer

ABV:
Cask - 5.0%, Bottle - 5.4%

EARLY BIRD SPRING HOP ALE

Early Bird Spring Hop Ale is brewed with the Early Bird single hop variety - hence the name!

This light gold beer is full-bodied, distinctive and refreshing as a spring day, with a malty undertone.

Available February to May inclusive.

Tasting notes:
Light malty and smooth flavours provide a platform for the full floral spring-like aromas. Spicy early season Kentish hops pervade the rich light fruits of this seasonal ale.
Tasting notes by Peter Ogie, Famous Beer Writer

ABV:
4.3%

LATE RED, AUTUMN HOP ALE

Late Red is a complex, richly-flavoured autumn hop ale. With an appropriately Autumnal auburn hue, this premium beer achieves a perfect balance between rich, dark malt flavours, and a strong, robust hoppiness.

Available September to November inclusive

Tasting notes:
A deep sweetness combining burnt notes with toffee and honey characterise this Autumn ale. The fresh water from the Brewery's Well balances the Cascade hops, specially grown in Kent, with their resinous note of Autumn leaves.
Tasting notes by Peter Ogie, Famous Beer Writer

ABV:
4.5%

 ORANJEBOOM PILSENER

"The best draught lager in the world" according to judges at the 2002 Brewing Industry International Awards. A light interpretation of the Continental pilsner style, Oranjeboom has the full body and flavour you would expect of a lager with a heavier alcoholic content. Brewed by Shepherd Neame under licence from Brouwerij de Oranjeboom, Breda in Holland, this Gold Medal-winning 4.1% abv draught lager is perfectly placed to grow sales in the most dynamic sector of the UK lager market.

The 'quirkily Continental' beer takes its name from the orange tree which symbolises the Dutch royal family tree.

Tasting notes:
An elegant, full bodied lager, which balances a slight toffee maltiness, with an apple-like fruitiness and a lingering hoppy finish.
Tasting notes by Peter Ogie, Famous Beer Writer

ABV:
4.1%

HOLSTEN EXPORT

A traditional German lager brewed under licence in Faversham in accordance with Bavaria's strict Reinheitsgebot purity law, which is the world's first food and drink legislation! Announced by Duke Wilhelm IV in 1516, it ruled that only three ingredients should be used to brew beer - malted barley, water and hops. Holsten Export is a distinctive, easy-drinking premium brew, particularly appealing to 25-40-year-old lager drinkers. The Holsten name, which formerly appeared on Tottenham Hotspur's shirts, now graces the strip of a professional team closer to Shepherd Neame's Faversham home - Kent County Cricket Club

Tasting notes:
A classic, continental lager, which combines a full bodied malty sweetness, with flowery hop overtones and finishes with a spicy aftertaste.
Tasting notes by Peter Ogie, Famous Beer Writer

ABV: 4.7

ASAHI SUPER DRY

Asahi, pronounced 'A-Sa-Hee', means 'Rising Sun' and is Japan's number one beer. Developed in 1987, it was Japan's first karakuchi (dry) beer - the result of extensive sociological research to produce a beer that was easy-to-drink, went well with food, and had a dry bite.

It is brewed using the best quality ingredients and is described as 'super crisp, super clear and super dry'. This is now served on draft in the Grapes

ABV:
5%