Fancy a pint...of fermented chardonnay? The brewery owned by Tenterden winemaker Chapel Down, Curious Brewery, has launched the first in a unique series of small batch beers, each produced with a winemaker’s twist.

The series, named Curiouser & Curiouser, sees the brewers collaborate with leading brewers from around the UK to produce unique limited edition beers that each lean on winemaking influences.

The first beer in the collection, Curioser & Curiouser Chapter 1, is a Wild Fermented Chardonnay & Bacchus Sour Ale created in partnership with Somerset’s The Wild Beer Company.

Just 1,500 bottles of the limited edition brew are being produced.

They are barrel-aged with Chardonnay & Bacchus wine yeast, creating a unique and complex beer.

The acidity of the sour ale balanced with the flavours of English wine to give aromas of citrus and toasted nuts with a hint of vanilla.

As a nod to its winemaking influence, Chapter 1 is bottled in a 75cl wine bottle, sealed with a crown cork and The Wild Beer Company’s signature wax seal.

The name comes from the tale of Alice in Wonderland and each beer in the collection will be a different chapter number. Its packaging also refers to the story with a neck tag around the bottle that says: “Drink Me: Every adventure requires a first sip!”

Chapel Down head winemaker, Josh Donaghay-Spire, led the joint project with the Somerset company, creating a unique barrel-aged sour beer.

He said; “Our collaboration with The Wild Beer Company was formed from a shared belief in exceptional brewing and a mutual passion for imaginative new products.

“The brewing process involved topping barrels of our Chardonnay and Bacchus lees with sour beer from the Wild Beer Company, where it then settled for six months.

“The beer was then blended with the best four of their summer blend and two of their sourdough barrels, resulting in a beer that confounds expectations and will push most beer drinkers out of their comfort zone, which is a good thing once in a while.”

Curious Brewery managing director, Gareth Bath, added: “Curiouser & Curiouser is going to offer beer-drinkers something completely new - beer made by leading winemakers and some of the UK’s most forward-thinking brewers. The next beers in the series will be launched throughout 2018, each in partnership with a different brewer and each with a curious winemaking twist.”

Curiouser & Curiouser Chapter 1: Wild Fermented Chardonnay & Bacchus Sour Ale (ABV 4.9%, 75cl) costs £20. You can buy it from the newly-launched curiousbrewery.com

For more details on Chapel Down and to join a tour, visit chapeldown.com