A very special beer is going into York pubs this week – as well as outlets in Europe.
Brew York’s showpiece stout Empress Tonkoko will be back at various city venues, including Trembling Madness, Beer Paradise, the Tipsy Fox and of course the brewer’s own Walmgate HQ from tomorrow (Tuesday, 9 January).
A UK-wide launch will follow on 17 January, and international launch partners will pour the beer at venues in Spain, Finland, and The Netherlands.
The tonka bean, vanilla, coconut and cacao imperial milk stout is described by many as ‘a Bounty in a glass’.
Brewed just once a year, the 2024 edition is presented as part of the brewery’s newly designed ‘Remastered’ range alongside four one-off barrel-aged versions.
Each barrel-aged Empress Tonkoko release spends at least 12 months in a unique selection of barrels.
First launched as Imperial Tonkoko in 2017, it won awards and was listed as one of the ‘top ten best stouts in the world’ by Rate Beer.
Today, Empress Tonkoko is described as an indulgent and surprisingly easy drinking 10.6% stout with super-rich chocolate notes mixed with a fragrant headiness of tonka and vanilla.
Brew York co-founder Lee Grabham said: “Brewing techniques and technologies evolve all the time, and the latest hype beer may come and go, but we love that Empress Tonkoko has now become an annual release highlight in craft beer, and we remain incredibly proud of this brew.
“We’ve brewed Empress Tonkoko every year since 2018, and every year we strive to brew the best version we’ve ever made. We’ll let you decide whether we’ve done it.”
Find out more, and see which venues are stocking the beer, on the Brew York website here.