Dutch Wink is a cask ale brewed by drinks writers Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham at Cropton Brewery in North Yorkshire.

The beer is currently available exclusively to Nicholsons pubs. It is intended to be an English interpretation of the kölsch beers of Cologne. This is the first foray into brewing for the pair, who together wrote the ‘Good Beer Guide West Coast USA’, and founded drinks website Dwink.

Sandham commented: ‘Over the years, hundreds of brewers have tried to hoodwink us into thinking that brewing is really difficult, a mysterious mix of science and black art that requires years of study and a painstaking attention to detail. Well, we spent a couple of days brewing and do you know what? It’s pretty easy. We nailed it. We even had time for a long lunch in the pub next door.’

Created with malted barleys Pale Malt and Vienna, Dutch Wink is characterized by its trio of hops: Bobek from Slovenia, Riwaka from New Zealand, and British hop Golding. This is just one of a series of seasonal ales recently introduced by Nicholsons as part of its Spring Seasonal Ale Programme.

News item from Imbibe.com, 06-05-2010