Our Beer
Legra Pale - Pale Ale 3.8%
Leigh on Sea Brewery’s first brewed beer (August 2017) and now our best selling (and most awarded). Legra is a well hopped American style pale ale, single hopped in the boil and dry hopped with loads of (expensive!) Citra. Legra is a light hazy golden ale, the Citra hop giving the beer a clean, citrus aroma, a refreshing grapefruit flavour and a big bitter finish.
Why Legra? The earliest known record of Leigh-on-Sea is in the Domesday Book of 1086, when it was known as Legra and valued at 100 shillings (think that used to be a fiver…) As our first beer we wanted to dedicate to our home town of Leigh on Sea. Don’t ask us about the crisis we had when we belatedly realised Legra was an anagram of lager….
Ingredients
Hops – Citra
Malt – Maris Otter, Torrified Wheat
Food Pairing
Refreshing and delicious on its own, it is also fantastic with a pint of prawns on the Old Leigh seafront.
Available in 9G cask, 30L Key Keg & 440ml cans
Beach Hut Brew - New England Pale Ale 4.5%
Pours a glowing opaque pale yellow classic to its style, big hits of tropical fruits like mango and pineapple from the El Dorado and Mosaic hops with a juicy low bitterness finish. Is an extremely refreshing and easy-drinking NEPA!
Originally brewed in collaboration with Ruarke Audio to promote the launch of their new sound system, Beach Hut was so popular it has become one of our most well-loved beers and now features regularly on our brew list!
Ingredients
Hops – El Dorado & Mosaic
Food Pairing
Goes great with spicy foods and anything with zesty or tropical elements that compliment it (like the food at our pub, Legra Tap & Kitchen!)
Available in 30L Key Kegs and 440ml cans, with some limited 9G cask
Old Leigh Ale - English Old Ale 5.7%
Originally brewed in collaboration with Sam from Fable Brewery, we’re now on our third brew of the stuff. Sam obviously saw this as a compliment and joined us here at Leigh on Sea Brewery! Brewed with heritage Chevalier malt, back in the 1800’s the finest and most popular base malt (before the arrival of Maris Otter). A traditional English hop selection brings rich dark vine fruits to this strong, dark malt forward traditional ale.
Simply named after Old Leigh, the popular and beautiful waterside part of Leigh on Sea where you can find some of our favourite pubs, restaurants and of course the best selection of seafood from the Cockle Sheds. As a resident, best enjoyed in winter (the town that is – but also possibly this beer…)
Ingredients
Hops – Goldings, Nugget, Willamette
Malt – Chevalier, Munich, Carafa Special III, Best Black
Available in limited 9G Cask, 30L Key Keg & 500ml Bottles
McFadden - Mild Ale 3.9%
A traditional dark mild, subtly malted and lightly hopped. We consider mild an undervalued beer category and are proud of our version. Black in appearance with a glowing mahogany edge to your pint glass, aromas of roasted barley and smooth flavours of chocolate and coffee with a well balanced bitter finish.
McFadden was originally brewed as a one off for multi award winning Leyton Orient FC Supporters Club, After it’s intended one off appearance at Orient, it was so popular that Pigs Ear CAMRA asked for a re-brew for their December beer festival. Given it’s first outing at Orient, we named this beer to honour the memory of Richard McFadden, who was a (Clapton) Orient player and member of the “Footballers Regiment” in the Great War. McFadden, alongside other Orient colleagues, lost his life at the battle of the Somme in 1916.
Food Pairing
The dark chocolate and coffee flavours pair well with rich gamey meats, fruit cake and just as well with lighter seafood dishes especially fresh crab or lobster.
Ingredients
Hops – Magnum, Amarillo, Perle
Malt – Maris Otter, Crystal, Chocolate, Roasted Barley, Torrified Wheat
Available in limited 9G Cask & 500ml Bottles
Boatyard IPA - West Coast IPA 5%
Another beer originally brewed for somewhere else (The Boatyard restaurant in Old Leigh), but was so popular it has caught on and has become part of our core range! This IPA has a combination of 4 hops for a classic West Coast feel with a big bitter finish.
Food Pairing
Thai Red curry & other spicy foods, the fruity bitterness will cut through the spice, complimenting it nicely.
Ingredients
Hops – Amarillo, Centennial, Mosaic & Simcoe
Malt – Maris Otter & Dextrin
Available in 9G Cask & 30L Key Keg, 440ml Cans coming soon!
Pier Train - NZ Hopped Pilsner 4.6%
First brewed in 2020, Pier Train is a refreshing bohemian-style Pilsner given an antipodean twist through the generous addition of New Zealand hops. The resulting Essex born lager has a pale golden colour with a clean aroma, a hint of tropical fruits and a refreshing bready flavour. The finish is dry-bitter with a subtle citrus after taste.
Named in honour of the historical attraction that made Southend-on Sea famous 130 years ago – it’s mile and a third long pier; the longest pleasure pier in the world! You can even pick up a can at the end of the pier (naturally!) then enjoy the pier train ride back to land.
Food Pairing
This Lager style matches well with most foods but is particularly delicious with fatty foods such as hot dogs, burgers, chips or fried fish on a Summer’s day.
Ingredients
Hops – Nelson Sauvin, Willamette, Motueka & Wai-iti
Malt – Pilsner & Carapils
Available in 30L Key Kegs & 440ml cans
Six Little Ships - Best Bitter 4.2%
Hopped with Challenger and suitably seafaring hops Admiral and Columbus, Six Little Ships is a traditional Best Bitter with a delicious spicy bitterness. A warming copper brown in appearance, brown bread aroma and a smooth spicy flavour with perfect bitter finish.
Named for the six boats from Leigh-on-Sea that set sail in May 1940 to join the Dunkirk troop evacuation.
Food Pairings
What better way to enjoy a traditional Best Bitter then to drink it alongside Britain’s favourite Friday night takeaway, battered fish and chips. Also pairs well with roast pork and sausage.
Ingredients
Hops – Admiral, Challenger, Columbus
Malt – Maris Otter, Munich, Crystal, Torrified Wheat
Available in 9G cask, 30L Key Keg & 500ml bottles
Kursaal Gold - Golden Ale 3.9%
A quaffable Golden Ale for when you have a thirst on! Highly sessionable Kursaal Gold has a blend of three English grown hop varieties for bittering, with two from the US for aroma. Golden in appearance, fresh zest aroma and clean sweet flavours.
The name and artwork for our Golden Ale celebrates The Kursaal, one of the world’s earliest amusement parks now with a Grade II listed and still glorious facade. Just like The Kursaal, our beer is beautifully constructed, bright and has been enjoyed by many. Unlike the Kursaal which has sadly fallen on hard times as an attraction, we hope the beer will be in high demand for years to come
Food Pairing
An excellent palate cleanser, Kursaal Gold is a great match for a pizza or barbecued food.
Ingredients
Hops – Fuggles, Bramling Cross, Goldings, Centennial, Cascade
Malt – Maris Otter, Carapils, Cara Red & Torrified Wheat
Available in 9G Cask, 30L Key Keg & 500ml Bottles
Bawley Bitter - Pale Bitter 3.4%
Launched February 2023 this pale coloured sessionable bitter is in the “Northern” style, with spicy hedgerow and blackcurrant notes from the hops.
The “Bawley” name comes from the traditional small fishing boats used in the Thames Estuary to bring back cockles and shrimp.
Food Pairing
‘Rice and Three’ – made famous in Greater Manchester cafes – as this bitter is inspired by the traditional beers of the area!
Ingredients
Hops – Bramling Cross & Brewer’s Gold
Malt – Maris Otter, Cara Gold, Flaked Maize & Carafa Special III
Available in 9G Cask, coming soon in 500ml Bottles!
Two Tree Island - US Red Ale 4.5%
A distinctive malty red ale, bursting with dry hopped citrus flavour. Brewed with a blend of malts including Dark Crystal for colour and a handful of big fresh American hops for aroma and flavour. Deep red in appearance, spicy rye bread aroma with a warming toffee-biscuit flavour and big punchy bitter finish.
Two Tree Island, off Leigh-on-Sea, was reclaimed from the Thames Estuary in the 18th century and is now a nature reserve.
Food Pairings
Two Tree Island’s spicy taste makes it a perfect beer to partner with seafood, try it with a pint of Leigh-on-Sea cockles or alongside spicy jerk chicken.
Ingredients
Hops – Citra, Centennial
Malt – Maris Otter, Roasted Barley, Crystal, Torrified Wheat
Available in 9G Cask, 30L Key Keg & 440ml Cans
Renown - Cockle Stout 4%
Our 4% cockle stout is brewed with Leigh-on-Sea cockles in the boil (obviously a departure from our usual vegan policy!) and is our take on an Oyster Stout. It is jet black in appearance with a bright white fluffy head, and aromas of chocolate and roasted malt. The flavours are of chocolate, coffee, caramel, with a lightly roasted finish. The cockles are added towards the end of the boil, joining Magnum and Golding hops.
Renown was one of the six cockle boats from Leigh-on-Sea involved in the Dunkirk troop rescue. Renown was an Osborne Bros boat and was tragically lost on the return journey, being struck by a mine with the loss of four lives. We’re proud to help to keep the story alive with this distinctive beer and consider it highly appropriate that the cockles used come from the current day Osborne Bros business.
Food Pairings
As you’d expect, Renown would match deliciously with cockle chowder. However (if you want to get all posh on us then) oysters are also a very good and traditional accompaniment!
Ingredients
Hops – Magnum, Goldings
Malt – Maris Otter, Crystal, Chocolate, Roasted Barley, Torrified Wheat, Dark Crystal Rye
Fresh Cockles from Osborne Bros. Leigh-on-Sea Cockle Sheds
Available in 9G Cask & 500ml Bottles
Crowstone - Black IPA 5.5%
Dark like a stout, but hoppy and bitter in flavour like an IPA! A rich blend of malts gives Crowstone its intensely dark, almost black colour, while serious quantities of fresh New World hops provide tropical citrus flavour and aroma. Crowstone is the beer that runs Legra close (or surpasses it?) for awards
The Crowstone, at Chalkwell, is the north bank Thames “London Stone” marking the ancient limit of the port of London.
Food Pairings
Just brilliant paired with a Sunday roast. There’s something about the roasty malt and the bitter hop combination that makes it brilliant with food.
Ingredients
Hops – Chinook, Cascade, Mosaic, Citra
Malt – Chocolate, Crystal, Maris Otter, Torrified Wheat, Carafa Special III, Cara Red, Crystal Red
Available in 9G Cask, 30L Key Keg & 440ml Cans
Cockle Row Spit - US IPA 5.6%
A strong and flavoursome (flavorsome?) American style IPA. Brewed using a combination of Czech and American hops, then dry hopped after fermentation to create additional citrus aroma. A full mouthfeel with a hazy appearance.
Cockle Row Spit is named after a Trinity House buoy now on dry land and on full view at High Street, Old Leigh. If you’ve been to Old Leigh you’ve walked or driven past it –it just looked to us that it was crying out to be a beer name!
Food Pairings
Bitterness increases heat, so if you enjoy a spicy curry an IPA is a perfect match. Cockle Row Spit also pairs well with steak and Barbeque ribs.
Ingredients
Hops – Saaz, Cascade, Centennial, Citra
Malt – Maris Otter, Torrified Wheat
Available in 9G Cask, 30L Key Keg & 440ml Cans
SS9 - Imperial Stout 9%
SS9 is a seriously strong stout characterised by deep boozy notes of coffee and chocolate from the range of dark malts used in the recipe. Perfect for colder nights and warm fireplaces.
SS9 is the Leigh on Sea postcode Just take comfort that we don’t live in SS12!
Food Pairings
Strong, smelly, oozy cheeses are a perfect after dinner pairing for SS9. Imperial Stouts also work wonderfully with creamy chicken dishes, macaroni cheese and rich meaty stews.
Ingredients
Hops – Columbus, Cascade
Malt – Maris Otter, Vienna, Munich, Crystal, Torrified Wheat, Chocolate, Roasted Barley
Available in 9G Cask, 30L Key Keg & 440ml Can.
Love Leigh Lager - Helles Lager 4.5%
Our take on a mainstream lager was launched in December 2020. Although we’re trying to appeal to the general lager drinker, in production this is nothing like mass market.
Lagered for a month in our conditioning tank it has traditional German hops and is Helles in style (a lager type emanating from Bavaria). That brings a clean malt base in the foreground, subtle hopping and, most of all a refreshing, drinkable beer suitable for all seasons.
Food Pairing
Like most lagers, goes with everything! Especially refreshing on a summer’s day with a plate of whatever street food we have serving at the tap room that week!
Ingredients
Hops – Perle, Comet, Magnum
Malt – Carapils, Pilsner
Available in 30L Key Keg & 440ml Cans
Pilot Kit Series
When our brewers are not busy brewing our #LoveLeigh core beers they are on our small Pilot Kit brewing up a storm and experimenting lots of different beer styles. Belgian ales, sours, single hop, green hop, Double IPA’s – anything goes! These special one off rare beers are only available in our taproom and a couple of very specially selected local Craft Beer venues. Keep an eye on our social media for the latest Pilot Kit Series available.
