Patriotic Britannia beers mean a tasty trip to the bar

As if P&O Britannia’s union flag hull livery wasn’t a patriotic enough statement, hot on the heels of the announcement that the ship will feature a host of high street brands, P&O Cruises has revealed that its quite literal flagship will also offer a wealth of home-brewed beverages to passengers at Brodie’s Bar on-board the ship. The bar is named in honour of the long-standing cruise line’s founding partner Brodie McGhie Willcox, back when it went by the name of the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

Refreshingly, there’s no sign of a Scottish-English divide, with the British Isles firmly united under one (rather big) flag, thanks to brews on offer from places as far afield as Dunbartonshire, Aberdeen, Eton and North Yorkshire. So what’s on tap? Well, it’s not just beer but cider too with passengers having around 70 different creations to choose from.

Black Sheep

Originating in Marsham, this Yorkshire brew belies its name and is more of a pale ale but it certainly does kick like an angry ram, offering premium strength but with plenty of taste.

Admiral Lord Collingwood

Originating in Northumberland, this honey-coloured pale ale features quite frequently in seasoned sessioners’ lists and offers a refreshing citrus note.

Chocolate Tom

The clue is indeed in the name and this strong ale is a variant of the appropriately-located Cheshire brewery’s Old Tom brew. At 6.00% ABV, it’s certainly not for the faint-hearted.

Brew Dog

Up in Aberdeenshire in 2007 this relatively new dog on the ale scene was born and since then, the brewery has grown and grown, producing a range of ales, IPAs and stouts and also opening a chain of bars.

Knight of the Garter

This exotically-named pint has a classy Eton and Windsor pedigree and is an easy-drinking golden ale, perfect for beer-lovers cruising in the summer, offering a refreshing citrus aroma.

If all this talk of bespoke beers has got your thirst up, or even if you’re eager to explore the ship for yourself and experience a cruise on her, you’ll be pleased to know that we have an excellent selection of sailings available, so take a look at our P&O Britannia page, where you can cruise from just £349.

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