Like many breweries, our friends at Bluestone Brewing Co in Newport were hit hard by the global pandemic in early 2020. As a small business, the loss of a market for 3,500 litres of their beer, almost overnight, was a huge blow. Discussions and research followed, and we realised that we could repurpose this great Welsh beer and create something new that would salvage something from the situation and stand as a testament to the resilience of both businesses in this most extraordinary of times.

Working with Bluestone, and with the support of new friends at Orkney Craft Vinegar Co, cask-matured the beer along with a vinegar 'mother' to create Welsh Cask Vinegar. We sourced Welsh whisky casks from another Welsh distillery, and gave the liquid time to ferment and take on flavour, a glorious transformation quietly happening in the depths of the distillery's cellar.

Batch #1 of our Welsh Cask Vinegar was lower in acidity than many vinegars, offering gentle flavour ideal for culinary and for cocktail use. Batch #2 is a higher acidity, grain flavours from the beer it was brewed from is super-prevalent in the profile. The resulting Batch #2 vinegar is sweet and nutty and works well in cocktails as well as in salad dressings.