Fuller's Brewery#Beers

Beer has been brewed on Fuller's historic Griffin Brewery site in Old Chiswick since the seventeenth century.{{efn|Fuller's History and Heritage page states "In the late 1600s".}} From the original brewery in the gardens of Bedford House on Chiswick Mall, the business expanded and thrived until the early part of the nineteenth century. Money problems forced the owners, Douglas and Henry Thompson and Philip Wood, to seek a partner.{{cite web |title=History and Heritage |url=https://www.fullers.co.uk/history-and-heritage |publisher=Fuller's |access-date=29 July 2019 |archive-date=29 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729122526/https://www.fullers.co.uk/history-and-heritage}} John Fuller, of Neston Park, Wiltshire was approached to see if he would inject the required amount of money. In 1829 he joined the enterprise, but the partnership proved a difficult one and in 1841 Douglas Thompson fled to France and the partnership was dissolved. It became apparent that it was difficult for one man with no brewing experience to run a brewery of that size alone. In 1845 John Fuller's son, John Bird Fuller, was joined by Henry Smith from the Romford Brewery of Ind & Smith and his brother-in-law, head brewer John Turner, thereby forming Fuller, Smith & Turner.

Reg Drury joined Fullers in 1959 at a time when cask ales were in decline, and worked there for 40 years, becoming the director of brewing. It was thought at the time that it was only possible to cask beer in open fermenters, but Drury experimented and found that it could also be made in more modern, closed conical fermenters. The switchover to conical fermenters improved consistency and allowed Drury to perfect the recipes of Fuller's beers.{{cite news |last1=Protz |first1=Roger |title=Reg Drury obituary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/jun/18/reg-drury |access-date=25 August 2020 |work=The Guardian |date=18 June 2015}}

In 2019 Fuller, Smith & Turner Plc sold its drinks company (The Fuller's Griffin Brewery, Cornish Orchards, Dark Star Brewery & Nectar Imports) to Asahi for £250m. This included the entirety of Fuller's beer, cider and soft drinks brewing and production, wine wholesaling, distribution, and the Griffin Brewery site.{{cite web |title=Proposed Sale of the Fullers Beer Business to Asahi and Trading Update - Fuller's |url=https://www.fullers.co.uk/corporate/investors/regulatory-announcements/proposed-sale-of-the-fullers-beer-business-to-asahi-and-trading-update}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.insider.co.uk/news/fullers-sell-beer-business-250m-13904847|title=Brewer to sell beer business to Japanese firm for £250m |last=Gates |first=Philip |date=25 January 2019 |website=businessInsider |access-date=25 January 2019}} Asahi stated that it would continue to brew beer at the Griffin brewery.{{Cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jan/25/london-pride-maker-fullers-sells-beer-business-to-asahi-for-250m |title=London Pride maker Fuller's sells beer business to Asahi for £250m |last1=Wood |first1=Zoe |last2=Jolly |first2=Jasper |date=25 January 2019 |work=The Guardian}}

The first record of the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick dates from 1816, when one of the owners of the company at the time, Douglas Thompson, acquired the name from a failed brewery (Meux & Reid) in the City of London.London Pride - 150 Years of Fuller, Smith & Turner PLC (1995) As well as its range of beers, The Griffin Brewery, on the A4 in Chiswick, is famous for having the oldest wisteria plant in the UK, planted in 1816.{{cite web|title=The oldest wisteria in England|url=https://www.fullers.co.uk/blog/brewery-articles/wisteria|publisher=Fullers|access-date=26 February 2018|date=6 May 2015|quote=This beautiful smelling purple genus has been creeping up the side of our brewery walls since 1816, making it officially the oldest in England.}}{{cite web|url=http://www.yourlocalguardian.co.uk/news/local/hounslowchiswick/8154488.Battle_to_save_historic_wisteria/ |title=Battle to save historic wisteria (From Your Local Guardian) |date=10 May 2010 |publisher=Yourlocalguardian.co.uk |access-date=2015-07-30}} The public can take a guided tour of the site.{{cite web |url=http://www.fullers.co.uk/rte.asp?id=9 |title=Find Out Where the Magic Happens at Griffin Brewery London - Fuller's |publisher=Fullers.co.uk |date=2015-07-17 |access-date=2015-07-30}}

File:20210711 Griffin Brewery old buildings.jpg|Griffin brewery from Chiswick Lane South

File:Fuller's brewery - pipes - cylinder.jpg|At the brewery

File:Fullers wisteria.JPG|The Wisteria plant at the Griffin brewery 2008

File:Mawson Arms 02.JPG|The nearest pub to the brewery, Fullers' Mawson Arms on Chiswick Lane (Closed as of 2023)

Fuller's brews London Pride and other award-winning ales such as Chiswick Bitter, ESB and 1845.{{cite web|url=http://www.fullers.co.uk/rte.asp?id=46 |title=Browse over 50 Quality Beers and Ales from Fuller's Brewery - Fuller's |publisher=Fullers.co.uk |access-date=30 July 2015}}

Its beers are exported to about 80 countries around the world. Its biggest overseas markets in 2014 were Russia and Sweden.{{cite web|url=http://www.fullers.co.uk/~/media/mainsite/PDFs/Financial%20Reports/2014/20022_Fullers_RA_2014_Bookmarked.ashx |title=Quality, Service and Pride Every hour, every day : Fuller's Annual Report 2014 |publisher=Fullers.co.uk |access-date=30 July 2015}}

Its London Porter has won awards including World's Best Standard Porter and Europe's Best Standard Porter at the World Beer Awards,{{cite web |url=http://www.worldbeerawards.com/fuller-s-london-porter.5280.html |title=Fuller's London Porter |publisher=Worldbeerawards.com |access-date=30 July 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413053838/http://www.worldbeerawards.com/fuller-s-london-porter.5280.html |archive-date=13 April 2015 |url-status=dead }} and Champion Keg of Great Britain.{{cite web|url=http://siba.co.uk/2014/03/winners-from-the-national-cask-keg-bottle-competition-2014/ |title=Winners from the National Cask, Keg & Bottle Competition 2014 |publisher=Siba.co.uk |date=2014-03-12 |access-date=30 July 2015}} Chiswick Bitter is a 3.5% ABV sessionable ale with strong hop characteristics.

Fuller's 1845 has won awards including CAMRA's Champion Bottle Conditioned Beer in 1998.{{cite web|url=http://www.camra.org.uk/champion-bottled-beer-of-britain |title=Champion Bottled Beer of Britain |publisher=CAMRA |access-date=30 July 2015}} In February 1995, while visiting the Griffin Brewery, Prince Charles added a handful of hops to a copper of 1845.{{cite web|url=http://www.insidebeer.com/articles/20130131 |title=Classic Beer of the Month February 2013: Fuller's 1845 - Inside Beer: Beer News, Beer Reviews and Beer Tasting Events |publisher=Inside Beer |date=2013-01-31 |access-date=30 July 2015}} Fuller's Vintage Ale is released around Christmas and has been made since 1997. In 2002, the year of the Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II, Fuller's added Goldings hops and Golden Promise malt to its Vintage Ale.{{cite web |url=http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/fullers-vintage-ale-2002/15234/ |title=Fuller's Vintage Ale 2002 |publisher=Ratebeer.com |access-date=30 July 2015}} Past Masters XX Strong Ale is a bottle-conditioned 7.5% strong ale based on a September 1891 entry in the brewing logs. It is made using Plumage Archer barley.{{cite web|url=http://www.insidebeer.com/articles/20110215 |title=Fuller's Past Masters XX Strong Ale, 7.5% - Inside Beer: Beer News, Beer Reviews and Beer Tasting Events |publisher=Inside Beer |date=15 February 2011 |access-date=30 July 2015}} Fuller's Past Masters Double Stout is a 7.4% bottle conditioned dark and creamy stout based on an August 1893 entry in the brewing logs. It was released in 2011 and is also made using Plumage Archer barley.{{cite web|url=http://www.beer-pages.com/notes/beer-of-the-month-2011-06.html |title=Fullers, Past Masters Double Stout (England) |publisher=Beer-pages.com |access-date=30 July 2015}}

Fuller's 1966 Strong Ale was released in 2013 using a recipe from June 1966. It is a ruby coloured ale brewed with pale ale malt, Goldings and Fuggles hops and cane sugars.{{cite web|url=http://www.foodbev.com/news/past-masters-1966-strong-ale-by-fullers#.VOiX7sm0P84 |title=Past Masters 1966 Strong Ale by Fuller's |date=24 September 2013 |publisher=FoodBev |access-date=30 July 2015}} Fuller's Brewer's Reserve is a collection of four bottled beers: No. 1 - a 7.7% strong ale launched in 2008 which spent 500 days in 30-year-old single malt whisky casks;{{cite web|url=http://www.fullers.co.uk/beer/explore-our-beers/brewers-reserve-1 |title=Brewer's Reserve No.1; A Strong Ale with a lot of Spirit - Fuller's |publisher=Fullers.co.uk |access-date=30 July 2015}} No. 2 - an 8.2% ale oak aged in Courvoisier Cognac casks;{{cite web|url=http://www.beer-pages.com/protz/tasting/fullers-special-reserve.htm |title=Fuller's Brewer's Reserve No 2 |publisher=Beer-pages.com |date=7 August 2010 |access-date=30 July 2015}} No. 3 - a 9.0% beer matured for more than two years in Auchentoshan distillery whisky casks;{{cite web |url=http://www.perfectpint.co.uk/real-ale-beers-info/11894/Fullers/Brewers-Reserve-No3 |title=Fuller's Brewer's Reserve No.3, 9.0%, Dark Ale |publisher=Perfectpint.co.uk|access-date=30 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906104228/http://www.perfectpint.co.uk/real-ale-beers-info/11894/Fullers/Brewers-Reserve-No3 |archive-date=6 September 2015}} No. 4 - an 8.5% beer matured in Comte de Lauvia Armagnac casks for a year.{{cite web|url=http://www2.beerguild.co.uk/?p=2701 |title=Fuller's Brewer's Reserve No.4 revealed |publisher=.beerguild.co.uk |access-date=30 July 2015}} No. 5 - an 8.5% beer matured for 500 days in fine old whisky casks.{{cite web|url=https://untappd.com/b/fuller-s-griffin-brewery-brewer-s-reserve-no-5/1593225 |title=Brewer's Reserve No. 5 |publisher=.untappd.com |access-date=29 December 2023}}

Gales HSB (Horndean Special Bitter) is a cask conditioned 4.8% bitter. It was first brewed in 1959 in Horndean, Hampshire.{{cite web |url=http://www.fullers.co.uk/beer/explore-our-beers/hsb |title=HSB; a Popular Quality English Bitter First Launched in 1959 - Fuller's |publisher=Fullers.co.uk |access-date=30 July 2015}}

Frontier was launched in 2013 – Fuller's first lager since the short-lived K2 brand of the 1980s;{{cite web |author=Walsh, Dominic | url=https://www.thetimes.com/business-money/companies/article/fullers-boldly-goes-into-craft-market-with-frontier-0d03jvq2dmm |title=Fuller's boldly goes into craft market with Frontier|work=The Times|date=6 June 2015 |access-date=6 February 2019}} it has an ABV of 4.5%.{{cite web |url=http://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Drinks/Beer/Fuller-s-new-Frontier-lager |title=Fuller's to launch first ever lager |date=4 June 2013 |publisher=Morning Advertiser |access-date=13 July 2017}} In 2013, Fuller's bought cider makers Cornish Orchards.{{cite web |url=http://www.cityam.com/280928/fullers-buys-west-sussex-craft-brewer-dark-star-undisclosed |title=Fuller's just bought this independent craft brewer |first=Alys |last=Key |date=20 February 2018| website=cityam.com |access-date=30 March 2018}}

In February 2018, Fuller's bought Dark Star Brewery, based in Partridge Green, West Sussex, for an undisclosed sum.{{cite web |author=Wingett, Mark |url=https://www.morningadvertiser.co.uk/Article/2018/02/20/Fuller-s-announces-Dark-Star-take-over |title=Fuller's announces Dark Star take over |publisher=Morning Advertiser |date=20 February 2018 |access-date=30 March 2018}}

File:Fuller's bottles.jpg|An assortment of Fuller's bottles

File:Fullers brands.JPG|A selection of Fuller's brands from the museum display

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• {{Official website|https://www.fullersbrewery.co.uk}}
• [http://www.ratebeer.com/brewers/fullers/55/ Brewery profile] from [http://www.ratebeer.com Ratebeer.com]
• [https://www.google.com/finance/?cid=667515 Profile at Google Finance]

{{Chiswick}}

{{LB Hounslow}}

Category:1845 establishments in England

Category:Breweries in London

Category:British companies established in 1845

Category:Companies based in the London Borough of Hounslow

Category:Chiswick

Category:Food and drink companies established in 1845