Town twinning anniversary brews up new Banbury beer

Members of the Banbury and District Twinning Association tasting the Banbury beer on sale at The Apothecary Tap (Pictured: Gareth Jeremy, Lloyd Taylor, Alan Cooper, Jenny Tustian, and Catherine Jenkinson and Rob Foreman, the owner of The Apothecary Tap.)

The creation of the Banbury Ale helps mark the 40th anniversary between the twinned towns of Banbury and Hennef, Germany.

The Apothecary Tap craft beer bar and bottle shop is offering Banbury Ale from this afternoon (Thursday October 14) through the weekend or until supplies last.

Rob Foreman, the owner of the craft beer bar in Banbury's town centre, said: "It's based on a traditional extra special bitter (esb) but they've changed it to extra special Banbury."

The Apothecary Tap craft beer bar and bottle shop is now offering Banbury Ale for a limited time while supplies last - made specially from a brewery in Germany.

Rob ordered the Banbury beer in from the Ale Mania brewery in Bonn, Germany located near Hennef. The Banbury Ale is 5.1 per cent alcohol.

Rob originally heard about Banbury beer and the twinning relationship between Banbury and Hennef Germany through some messages posted on social media, and later reached out to the brewery about bringing it to Banbury.

Rob said: "I contact breweries all over the world to get beer in so nothing is going to stop me from getting this one in from Germany. It was nice we got it in October, a traditional month for German beer."

Members of the Banbury and District Twinning Association were the first of the area to sample the Banbury beer when several bottles were sent to them last month as part of the 40th anniversary celebrations between the towns of Banbury and Hennef, Germany.

The German brewery Ale Mania has come up with the Banbury Ale as part of the 40th anniversary of the twinned towns of Banbury and Hennef, Germany. It's available from The Apothecary Tap craft beer bar and bottle shop in the town centre.

Alan Cooper, secretary of the Banbury and District Twinning Association, said: "They've made the beer to mark the 40th anniversary.

"We had a sort of Zoom party driven by the German contingent. We tried it then. It's a nice beer.

"They were very concerned about Brexit that we were going to walk away from them. We said 'no nothing could be further from the truther.'"

September 10 marked the 40th anniversary of the twinning between the Banbury and the German town of Hennef.

Jenny Tustian, the membership secretary for the association, said: "They've gone to a lot of care and trouble to send us this beer. It's such a delight.

"It's great to let Banbury know we're celebrating 40 years with this fabulous friendship. Their hospitality is so genuine and sincere in so many ways.

Catherine Jenkinson, chair of the association, said Dominique Muller-Grote, a resident of Hennef, who came to Banbury in 2019 as part of the relationship between the twinned towns, came up with the idea for a Banbury beer modelled off a Hook Norton craft beer.

For more information on the Banbury and District Twinning Association see their web site here: https://banburytwinning.org.uk/

Rob credited the Banbury and District Twinning Association for establishing the connection and relationship to make the Banbury beer possible.

He added: "It's remarkable they've been going for 40 years. I think it's great we've got this relationship as a town with Germany. It's a lovely thing they've done to keep it going.

"A large per cent of the town don't know the good work these people have done."

The Apothecary Tap is offering Banbury beer as part of a mini Octoberfest, which also includes the sale of an Oxfordshire-based and brewed beer called Lovibonds Festbier from Henley.

People can come try a Banbury beer at The Apothecary Tap located in Church Lane, Banbury. It's opening hours are from 4 to 9pm today, Thursday October 14, 2 to 10.30pm on Friday and 12 to 7pm on Saturday October 15.

For more information on The Apothecary Tap see their website here: https://www.theapothecarytap.com/