Our Beers

Harveys beers are renowned as the best in South East England (and by many as the best in the world). Harveys select only the choicest English hops and best British malted barley to combine with our own spring water and unique yeast strain. Added to these ingredients are 200 years of experience, ancient recipes and local support - it's that simple.

Many people enter a pub and simply ask for "a pint of Harveys, please". If it's a Harvey owned pub they might have a choice from as many as eight draught varieties. So which one?

Harveys Sussex Best Bitter, or just 'Best' is the most popular. This traditional premium bitter was judged "Champion Best Bitter of Britain" at CAMRA's Great British Beer Festival in both 2005 & 2006. Its volume makes up over 90% of our entire production. It surprises some that it was first brewed as recently as 1955.

The draughts of Old Ale (winter only) and Mild have a longer continuous heritage, dating back a further century. These dark beers were winning the major Awards at the time of Best Bitter's conception. Four Cask Ales are permanently available (Best Bitter, Mild, Armada Ale and Hadlow Pale Ale).

Two beers share the year between them: Old Ale in winter and Olympia, a cool golden Ale for Summer. There are eight other monthly Seasonal Draught Brews (Kiss, Porter, Knots of May, Copperwheat, Tom Paine, Southdown Harvest, Bonfire Boy, and Christmas Ale). Aficionados should keep watching, the next commemorative brew could meet favour with pub customers and become a regular seasonal brew. (Star of Eastbourne is a current favourite).

It doesn't end there for beer choice. Harveys have a long heritage of bottled beers and in 2007 abrand new bottling plant was installed, including a bottle washer to enable continuation of environmentally friendly 'returnables'. Most of the above varieties also become Bottled Beers, which are usually pasteurised for longer stability. A few are labelled under different guises e.g. Mild becomes Nut Brown Ale.

Then there are some specialist varieties in glass, which is where the greatest extremes of style appear. From our low alcohol John Hop (light and less than 1% alcohol) to Imperial Extra Double Stout (a pitch black intense brew which has been recorded at over 10% alcohol, following maturation). Also look out for the award winning Elizabethan Ale (an 8% barley wine), Lewes Castle Brown Ale (5.5%), and Sweet Sussex Stout (a 3% 'milk' stout) as examples of other diverse bottled varieties.

Between bottles and casks, 33 varieties of beer are regularly produced at Harveys brewery. That takes no account of other commemorative or Celebration Beers that can be produced in surprisingly small quantities for individuals or organisations.