Hemel brewery making beer to help support Ukraine

Award-winning Pope’s Yard in Apsley, has created the beer from a recipe given to it by CastleHill Brewery in Ukraine.

Co-founder of the microbrewery Barbara Leenen and her partner Geoff Latham visited a brewery in the western city of Lviv, CastleHill during a trip to the country in June 2019.

After their visit, Barbara and Geoff stayed in touch with CastleHill owner Andrew Didukh via social media and reached out to him when the conflict began.

They decided to collaborate with Andrew and were sent the recipe for a milk stout.

They said: “We saw all the terrible suffering and people fleeing leaving their homes, it’s just heartbreaking. Especially if you've been there and you've met these people, it just adds another dimension.”

Barbara and Geoff added: “We tried to recreate it as good as we could. It’s as close to the original Ukrainian be as you can get.”

Other businesses have come together to help make the beer with bottles and labels donated by Barbara’s suppliers and a brewing company in Rickmansworth, Creative Juices, has given access to its tap room when the beer is ready.

Currently, Andrew is well and staying in Lviv, however Barbara says that he is taking it one day at a time.

The stout will launch on April 8 at Creative Juices Brewing Company with all proceeds going to charities aiding those who are living amid the fighting.