Independent craft brewery secures a Waitrose listing

Thousand Yard Stare, a new hazy pale ale from Harrogate-based Rooster’s Brewing Company, makes its retail debut in Waitrose this month.

The independent, family-run craft brewery’s latest creation, available in 440ml can, hit the shelves of 186 Waitrose stores nationwide yesterday – 10 May.

Named after the phrase coined to describe the unfocused gaze of a battle-weary soldier, Thousand Yard Stare is a light, full-flavoured, hazy pale ale with an intense tropical fruit nose.

It is a 5.4% ABV beer which, like many of Rooster’s beers, is vegan-friendly and also gluten-free.

It will feature on Waitrose shelves alongside the brewer’s flagship IPA, Baby-Faced Assassin, which is available in a recently rebranded 330ml can design to mark its tenth anniversary.

Ian Fozard, director at Rooster’s Brewing Company, said: “We’re delighted to build on our strong partnership with Waitrose through the launch of this latest exciting beer.

“Thousand Yard Stare was initially conceived and developed over last year’s lockdowns and it represents a number of firsts for us as a brewery, with it being the first time we’ve created a beer in this style and used a Stateside hop called Ekuanot, which is known for bringing a complex array of fruity aromas and flavours to the palate.

“It’s fantastic that Waitrose has moved so quickly to champion this new beer and is testament to the incredible efforts of the whole Rooster’s team in maintaining the brand’s pioneering, forward-thinking approach to brewing beers over what has been a challenging 12 months for everybody.”

Louise Witchell, Waitrose’s buyer for beer and cider, said: “We’re thrilled to be the first UK retailer to launch this exciting new beer into the Waitrose range, alongside Rooster’s popular Baby-Faced Assassin IPA.

“Rooster’s focus on creating award-winning quality beers makes them a great partner for Waitrose.”

Thousand Yard Stare is the latest in a series of releases to come out of the brewery in recent months, with Rooster’s using much of the three lockdown periods to conceive and develop a range of new beers.

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