It had an orange-ish hue. A hint of crisp biscuit from the Vienna malt; a mere smear of toffee-sweetness from Crystal. Lemon edges with slight spices from the Liberty and Sorachi Ace hops. And then, a garden and kitchen raided; coriander seeds, lemongrass, lemon balm, mint, Tahitian lime leaves. All lovingly prepared by a chef. With a mallet.


Julius was a one-off born in the summer of 2009, a collaboration between myself, the irrepressible Ian Harrison of Pubs & Beer and those brewing fellas at Thornbridge. Why write about it now? Well, I've been recently reading a great deal about the historical use of herbs in English ale and it's giving me ideas...

I'd love to brew something herbal in the spring. Perhaps something that does away with the hop addition altogether? A dandelion stout? A mint bitter? Anything with bog myrtle in it?

All I need to do now is find a sympathetic, adventurous, slightly-mad brewer to work with. Any takers? >