St Austell Brewery has dipped back into its archives to revive Admiral’s Ale, one of its best-known past beers, as part of celebrations for its 175th anniversary. The limited-edition 5.0% ABV ale returns in the brewery’s 2026 special cask range, which pairs old favourites with new brews shaped by more than a century and a half of Cornish brewing, according to the company and its anniversary announcement.

Admiral’s Ale first appeared in 2005 to mark the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar, and St Austell says its story is tied to local legend as well as national history. The brewery says the tale centres on King George III’s messenger, who was said to have paused at the Blue Anchor Inn in St Austell while carrying news of Nelson’s victory from Cornwall to London.

The beer is brewed with Celia and Cascade hops, giving it floral, pine and berry notes and a fuller character, the brewery says. It is joined in the anniversary cask line-up by Tinners Best Bitter and Tribute Extra, a stronger version of the company’s best-selling Tribute pale ale. According to St Austell, the beers went on sale from 1 September in its managed pubs in the South West and in selected partner pubs across the UK.

Founded in 1851, St Austell remains one of the South West’s most prominent independent family brewers and still operates from its original Victorian tower brewery, where malt is milled in the tower. The business says handwritten recipe books dating back to the 1800s continue to inform its brewers, underlining the mix of heritage and reinvention that now shapes its anniversary programme, which also includes events, collaborations and pub-focused celebrations across the region.

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