A beer named in honour of the original Trent Bridge river crossing will make its debut at this year’s Nottingham Beer and Cider Festival, to be held at Trent Bridge Cricket Ground.

Hethbeth, so-called as a reflection of the bridge’s original medieval name, is a mild beer brewed by the Bridges Brewing Company.

It joins the company’s burgeoning roster of beers inspired by local and global landmarks, including Golden Gate Bridge and Tower Bridge, along with local crossings such as Lady Bay Bridge and the Bennerley Viaduct.

Hethbeth will be one of over 600 beers available to sample at this year’s festival, which runs from Wednesday 7 to Saturday 10 October.

Admission is free for CAMRA members, while non-members can secure tickets from £10 here...

“Steve [Westby, Nottingham CAMRA Chairman] from the Nottingham Festival, asked us if we’d done a Trent Bridge beer yet, but we had an idea in our pocket to focus on the old Trent Bridge,” said Tom Burwood-Ansell, Head Brewer at the Bridges Brewing Company.

“The old bridge, and its name, have a bit more romance – and not many people know about its legacy.

“The original bridge was built in the 10th Century AD by Alfred the Great’s son, so there has been a crossing in that position since the days of Edward the Elder.

“It's really historic, hence why we wanted to do it and hence why we went with an historic style like a mild.”

By tapping into local history, Burwood-Ansell feels each beer produced by the Bridges Brewing Company tells a story – and he’s even expanded the company’s offerings into the realms of fantasy.

“We like the fact that we can tie in a load of heritage, whether it’s local, international or even fictional,” he said.

“Golden Gate is a West Coast pale in the style of beers from that part of America, whereas Tower is a London Porter.

"We’ve also just produced our first seasonal one-off, a Lord of the Rings-inspired beer called Khazad-Dûm. It’s a hoppy US Red Ale and the first beer we’ve produced inspired by a pop-culture reference. In our experience, these sorts of beers tend to create a bit of a buzz and do quite well."

Burwood-Ansell’s own brewing story began as an enthusiastic home brewer, and resulted in a career change which he continues to relish.

“My in-laws bought me an all-grain kit for brewing at home while I was off work as a stay-at-home dad,” he said.

“I'm massively into science and into the creative side of beer, and they do go hand in hand, but I’d never really considered how beer was made until I tried it myself.

“It all just snowballed from there, and when I was ready to go back to work I didn’t want to go back to a normal office job.

“I’ve just fallen in love with the whole process.”