Green Hopped ESB – 4.4%

Some beers start with a recipe. This one started with a request.

At the end of August, we put the call out to local gardeners and hop growers around Belper for any surplus hops they had growing in gardens, allotments or even in the wild. What came back was a collection of locally grown hops, picked on the morning of the brew day, fresh and ready to go straight into the boil.

We wanted to make something that celebrated those hops rather than trying to make them conform to a particular commercial variety or profile. The result is Viridian, named after another word for green, and our take on a traditional ESB, built around a rich Maris Otter malt base, Caramalt and dark Crystal, with the myriad of local grown hops providing the bitterness and hop character.

A classic ESB malt character with rich biscuit and lightly toasted notes, balanced by a firm but rounded bitterness. The fresh green hops bring a softer, more herbal and earthy hop character, with subtle resinous notes and a freshness that sets Viridian apart from a more conventional ESB.

At 4.4%, it’s full of flavour without being heavy, with the dark Crystal adding a touch of caramel richness and depth beneath the hop character.

Viridian is a genuinely local beer, made possible by a network of people growing hops simply because they can. A little bit of Belper.

MUSIC PAIRING

These Wicked Rivers – Fire & Folklore

Having a beer that is so of it’s place, we had to make recommendation for a local band, whom happen to be releasing their 3rd album this month.

These Wicked Rivers, a Belper-based band whose new album ‘Fire and Folklore’ was recorded right here in town, at Andy Sneap’s home studio. Released in October 2026, the album sees the band building on their blues-rock roots with touches of country and Southern rock, while keeping the groove and soul that runs through their music.

There’s something fitting about pairing a beer made from hops gathered around our hometown with a record made by musicians from the same place. Viridian is our little snapshot of Belper’s hop-growing community; Fire and Folklore is another piece of the town’s creative landscape.