Hawkstone Premium Lager

Hawkstone is what happens when a long-established Cotswold brewery, a pile of locally grown barley and Jeremy Clarkson all end up in the same conversation. The brewery started life as Cotswold Brew Co back in 2005 before the Hawkstone name arrived in 2021, bringing a lot more attention to what was already a brewery with a serious interest in proper lager.

While the Clarkson connection tends to grab the headlines, the beer itself has always been the more interesting part of the story. Long before every small brewery in Britain decided it needed three hazy IPAs and a pastry stout, the team at Bourton-on-the-Water were quietly focused on lager. Not the rushed, forgettable kind, but the sort that takes patience, cold conditioning and a willingness to wait for the beer to be ready. A surprisingly unfashionable approach in modern brewing.

The brewery works closely with British-grown barley, including grain from Clarkson's Diddly Squat Farm, with a strong emphasis on local supply chains and keeping production rooted in the surrounding countryside. The result is a range that covers crisp lagers, pilsners, IPA, cider and a handful of spirits, all carrying a distinctly rural Cotswold character without feeling old-fashioned.

The lagers are the real heart of the range. Clean, bready malt flavours, gentle bitterness and a fresh, grassy character make them easy drinking without drifting into bland territory. There is enough flavour to keep beer enthusiasts interested, but they remain approachable enough for somebody whose usual tasting note is simply "that's a good pint".

Part of Hawkstone's appeal is that it feels unapologetically British. In an industry often obsessed with chasing trends from elsewhere, there's something refreshing about a brewery looking at local barley, local farming and traditional lager brewing and deciding that's already a pretty good place to start.