Hops - Belgian Bar

09/10/2026

🇩🇪🍺 Fresh on Draught & New in the Fridge – Ayinger Kirtabier (5.8%)!

A taste of Bavarian tradition has arrived at Hops, and the timing couldn’t be better!

Every October, the Bavarian village of Aying celebrates Bräu-Kirta, a traditional festival inspired by the region’s historic Kirchweih celebrations, marking the anniversary of a church’s consecration.

It’s a proper Bavarian affair, complete with music, traditional food, local crafts, b**r and even an ox race!

And at the heart of the celebrations is something rather special…

🍺 Ayinger Kirtabier (5.8%)

Brewed especially for the season, this naturally cloudy, copper-coloured l***r sits somewhere between a traditional Märzen and a dark Export.

🌾 Rich, bready malt character
🍎 Delicate notes of ripe apple and orange
🌰 Hints of toasted nuts
🍺 Smooth, rounded and beautifully balanced

Brewed using three different malts and a traditional double-mashing process, it’s a wonderful example of Bavarian brewing craftsmanship.

🇩🇪 Now pouring fresh on keg AND available in 500ml bottles in our German fridge.

A little taste of Bavaria, right here in Crewe!

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05/10/2026

Well, October has arrived and the Tour de Fridge is taking a turn towards the dark…

After September’s Golden & Glorious journey through strong golden Belgian b**rs, this month we’re following the changing season into increasingly rich, dark and malt-led territory.

Welcome to Into the Dark. 🍂

And we’re beginning gently with:

St Bernardus Pater 6 - 6.7%

The lightest of the classic St Bernardus abbey ales, Pater 6 is a wonderfully drinkable Belgian dark ale with plenty of character without becoming heavy.

Expect soft caramel and toasted malt, hints of dark fruit, gentle Belgian yeast spice and a subtle bitterness keeping everything beautifully balanced.

Malty, rounded and quietly warming… the perfect first step into the darker b**rs of autumn.

10% off all week as part of Tour de Fridge — only at Hops.


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19/09/2026

🍺🇩🇪 Oktoberfest has landed in the German fridge 🇩🇪🍺

Fourteen different Festbiers, Märzens and Oktoberfest specials have arrived at Hops - from the big Munich names to a few rather less familiar Bavarian breweries.

Augustiner, Ayinger, Hofbräu, Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Weihenstephan, Erdinger and plenty more besides.

>>>📸 Swipe through to have a look at this year’s line-up….then the difficult bit is deciding where to start.

All available now from the German fridge.

Prost! 🍻

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16/09/2026

🍺 The Tour de Fridge moves into Week 38 and on to the next leg of our Golden & Glorious journey.

We’ve started with the honeyed character of Barbar and followed it with the fruity, spicy warmth of La Chouffe. This week, we’re giving strong Belgian golden b**r a distinctly modern twist…

Duvel Tripel Hop KRUSH – 8.4%

The unmistakable character of Duvel is joined by KRUSH, an American hop variety chosen to bring an extra burst of contemporary hop character to this special edition.

Expect bright tropical and citrus fruit, plenty of aromatic hop character, and a firm bitterness alongside Duvel’s familiar fruity yeast, lively carbonation and famously dry finish.

Still unmistakably Belgian. Still unmistakably Duvel. Just with the hops turned up considerably.

10% off all week as part of Tour de Fridge — only at Hops.

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09/09/2026

Monday again, which means it’s time to move on to Week 37 of the Tour de Fridge and the second stop on our Golden & Glorious journey.

Last week we began with the honeyed character of Barbar. This week we’re turning to a true Belgian classic…

La Chouffe – 8%

Brewed in the Ardennes, La Chouffe is a wonderfully characterful strong Belgian blonde - golden, fruity, spicy and remarkably drinkable for its strength.

Expect ripe pear and citrus, gentle coriander and Belgian yeast spice, a touch of honeyed malt, and a subtle hop bitterness leading into a warming, dry finish.

The little gnome may be instantly recognisable, but what’s inside the bottle is a serious Belgian b**r and a perfect benchmark before Golden & Glorious takes a more modern turn next week.

10% off all week as part of Tour de Fridge — only at Hops.

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06/09/2026

Thanks for calling to see us 🍻

03/09/2026

🍺 September has arrived, which means it’s time for another new chapter on the Tour de Fridge.

After August’s refreshing journey through Belgian fruit lambics, we’re heading towards autumn with Golden & Glorious - four very different Belgian approaches to strong, golden b**r.

And we’re beginning with honey. 🍯

Lefebvre Barbar – 8%

Brewed with honey, Barbar is a strong Belgian blonde with a wonderfully rounded character. Expect soft honeyed sweetness, ripe fruit, gentle spice, and a smooth malt backbone, balanced by enough bitterness to keep everything remarkably drinkable.

Rich without being heavy and warming without losing its bright golden character, it’s a distinctive introduction to a month that will show just how varied Belgium’s strong golden b**rs can be.

10% off all week as part of Tour de Fridge — only at Hops.

02/09/2026

It’s nice to see the spotlight on Crewe 🍻

Morning

This Saturday I’ll be heading over to Crewe, a Cheshire railway town best known for the huge part it played in the development of Britain’s railways. The arrival of the railway in the 1830s transformed Crewe, with the town later becoming famous for its locomotive works and one of the country’s major railway junctions.

I’ll be starting the day at the Crewe Rail Ale Festival, which returns to Crewe Heritage Centre for 2026 and is organised by South Cheshire CAMRA. It’s a brilliant setting for a b**r festival, surrounded by historic locomotives, working signal boxes, railway exhibits and the famous Advanced Passenger Train. There will be more than 60 real ales, ciders and perries across cask and keg, and this year the festival is also hosting the regional judging of the Premium Bitters category for CAMRA’s Champion B**r of Britain.

After spending some time at the festival and sampling a few of the b**rs, I’ll be heading out into Crewe to explore a selection of pubs around the town during the afternoon and evening.

It should be a cracking day combining two things Crewe is particularly well known for — railways and good b**r! 🍻

If I’m planning to pop in and visit you, I’d really appreciate a share of this post — and if you see me out and about, feel free to come and say hello!

CAMRA South Cheshire Branch / Crewe Heritage Centre
The Crewe Dog /
Borough Arms
Tom's Tap and Brewhouse Ltd /
Hops - Belgian Bar
Earl of Chester Crewe
Ebenezer's Crewe
The Raven Crewe

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26/08/2026

We’ve reached the final stop on August’s Belgian Fruit Lambics – Orchard & Hedgerow journey.

We’ve travelled from juicy peach through two very different expressions of cherry. For our finale, we’re leaving the orchard behind and heading into the hedgerows…

Oud B**rsel Framboise – 5%

Made with raspberries and traditional lambic, this elegant framboise brings together vibrant fruit and the distinctive complexity of spontaneous fermentation.

Expect fresh, tart raspberry rather than simple sweetness, backed by lively acidity, subtle earthy lambic character, and a beautifully dry, refreshing finish.

Fruit-forward but wonderfully refined — and a fitting finale to a month exploring just how diverse Belgian fruit lambics can be.

10% off all week as part of Tour de Fridge — only at Hops.

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19/08/2026

🍒🍒 Another week and another stop on our August Tour de Fridge Belgian Fruit Lambics – Orchard & Hedgerow journey.

We’re sticking with cherries this week, but taking a step towards the more traditional side of Belgian fruit lambic.

Boon Kriek – 4% 375ml

Brewed with real cherries and traditional lambic, Boon Kriek brings a deeper, more natural fruit character than the sweeter styles we’ve explored so far.

Expect ripe and tart cherry, gentle almond-like notes from the stones, and that distinctive lambic acidity underneath, with a refreshing finish that balances fruitiness with a little more dryness and complexity.

Same fruit as last week - but a rather different expression of it.

10% off all week as part of Tour de Fridge — only at Hops.