More than a Vocation: how indie beer is keeping flavour alive

Vocation Brewery explains how independent beer is “driving beer’s reinvention”. Can a riff on a classic still excite drinkers? db finds out.

The Yorkshire brewery has insisted that the beer sector needs to continue to work hard to stay relevant to consumers.

Speaking to the drinks business, Vocation Brewery’s CEO Gail Lumsden said: “Beer risks losing relevance and appearing seemingly uninspiring at a time when spirits, RTDs, and no/low categories are constantly reinventing themselves.”

According to Lumsden, it is “purposeful innovation” that is “a potential source of opportunity for beer to keep drinkers engaged, to draw in new audiences, and to give retailers, whether in the on- or off-trade, a point of difference”.

Staying memorable

But what does that entail exactly? What counts as purposeful or, indeed, innovation?

Lumsden tells db that when it comes to innovation, it has been the indie sector that has led the way and in terms of innovation it must be driven with intentions to make a difference and make a beer memorable.

Lumsden explained: “independent breweries have often been central to driving beer’s reinvention and growth – leading the way with new trends and developments in the category. At Vocation, innovation must have purpose and intent. Gimmicky releases might grab headlines, but a thriving future beer category will require innovation that delivers benefits and memorable drinking experiences to the consumer.”

‘Keep interest alive’

Lumsden admitted that Vocation has a lot to offer in this instance and pointed out that “one of the benefits of independence is brewing with choice in mind” and noted how the brewery’s portfolio is “anchored in core beers with wide appeal” but also “complemented with seasonal and special editions that excite, surprise, and invite discovery”.

This, Lumsden highlighted, means that the business has “built a strategy around this, using carefully-considered releases throughout the year to keep interest alive, appeal to a range of tastes and occasions, and create flavours that intrigue even those who don’t typically drink beer”.

Grab attention and get people talking

She admitted: “We seek to push the boundaries with our special edition beers with a range of flavours and aromas that might not always be associated with beer, experimenting with the fundamental ingredients of hops, yeast and grain and tapping into relevant cultural moments. This is what grabs attention, gets people talking, and encourages them to try
something new – and because they feel like a treat, customers are often happy to pay a little more for them.”

The drinker can look at the brewery’s Naughty & Nice White Chocolate & Raspberry White Stout which is 6.6% ABV as one example of where Vocation has “flipped the script on stout; by removing dark roasted malts and barley”.

As Lumsden highlighted: “We created a beer that looks like a pale ale yet delivers the unmistakably rich, chocolatey flavours and mouthfeel of Vocation’s signature stout – a surprising and unique alternative for summer stout lovers.”

But what other innovations can the brewery claim have grabbed consumer attention?

Summer also saw the release of Cool as a Cucumber, a 4.7% ABV cucumber and mint kölsch. According Lumsden “ this brings bright, garden-fresh flavours to a classic German style golden offering a crisp, easy-drinking seasonal alternative to fruit flavoured beer and cider”.

Plus, she added: “To celebrate International Beer Day, we crafted Haruka – a 6.5% ABV Japanese IPA with lemon zest and distinctive herbal dill notes from Sorachi Ace hops”.

For Beer Day Britain, Vocation shone a light on homegrown ingredients and sustainability with two limited-edition brews made entirely from British ingredients. These included Worth Its Weight – a 4.6% ABV British Golden Ale – showcasing regenerative farming, and Make Hay – a 6.2% ABV British IPA, championing a new generation of British-grown hops.

As the seasons change

But it does not end there because this autumn, the brewery is giving Oktoberfest a fresh twist with two riffs on German classics. Vocation’s 4.8% ABV Peach & Cardamom Weizen for instance is “a fruited wheat beer which builds on a traditional Weizen base, but with added flavour inspiration – ripe peach purée and a touch of cardamom that complements the yeast’s natural clove notes,” said Lumsden.

Added to this, the brewery’s 5.2% ABV Festzeit Märzen Lager is a malt-forward take on the Oktoberfest style and, according to Lumsden showcases “rich depth from Vienna and Munich malts balanced by soft herbal notes from Tettnang hops”.

For the end of the year, Christmas will follow with a festive range across cask, keg and can, which has been “designed to capture the emotion of the season and create that ‘treat’ factor people are willing to trade up for,” she explained.

Within the winter season, Lumsden pointed out that the standouts include the 4.5% ABV Naughty & Nice Chocolate Orange Stout; the 5.5% ABV Nutcracker Chestnut & Vanilla Winter Ale and the 10% ABV Silent Night Mint Cocoa Stout.

Across cask format, Lumsden advised that “for fans of hand-pulled pints, our festive cask releases bring freshness, flavour and a touch of seasonal flair, with the likes of our Winter Bloom Session Pale Ale (3.8% ABV) and Deck the Palms Blonde Ale (4.2% ABV).”

Investment plans

Looking to the future, there are plans in the pipeline for Vocation to invest further with the brewery then having the ability to experiment with new beer styles with more ease.

Lumsden revealed: “We’re investing in a dedicated pilot brewery at our Hebden Bridge site in Yorkshire. It is an exciting step forward that will allow us to trial new styles, experiment more freely, as well as spot and act on future trends early.”

She added that the plans for the business’s brewing capabilities are “all part of our ambition to keep beer fresh, relevant, and impossible to ignore”.

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