The 2022 version of Putty is now available and of course, still unchanged to the original 2017 brew!
Glowing like a satsuma in a pint of double cream and hopped to hell and back with Galaxy, Mosaic and Azacca. Dank and sweaty, but oh so fruity with it too! Deep mangoes, apricots and freshly cut grass pervade your senses. As always we've layered up the malts with an emphasis on Golden Promise and wheat malts for a bread crust base, sacks and sacks of flaked wheat and oats bump up the creamy density further.
Originally, it was an excuse to try out Galaxy hops and a few other ideas and concepts... Little did we know it would become an instant classic within the UK beer scene and further afield. We're proud of Putty and we think the 2022 version does Putty proud also!
To celebrate, Putty will be hittin' the taps on Friday 21st January in 50+ selected venues across the land folks! From North to South, discover the full list below:
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This year, we asked the talented Alex May Hughes to work on a brand new artwork for Putty. She created a unique and fantastic piece of art we then adapted as a can design... And we absolutely love it!
We asked her a few questions on her work and this special collaboration :
Explain what you do in one short sentence
I'm a sign painter and artist, working mostly with glass and gold leaf.
How did you get into your groove?
I did a small project on sign painting at uni and I was hooked. Once I graduated, I got an apprenticeship and kept the ball rolling ever since.
How long have you been creating?
About 8 and a half years.
Can you describe your work process and the materials you’re using to create
your art?
I use a lot of gold leaf (in various carats and tones) and mother of pearl shell, I work directly on to the back (reverse) of clear glass with enamel paints building up the layers.
How did your art cross over to the final 2022 Putty can design?
Getting to not only design a beer label but to have amazing attention to detail applied at the process and printing end was incredible. Jim (Verdant's Creative Design Manager) really rose to the task of translating the unusual materials I use into something that can be printed and replicated faithfully into the cans.
What were the challenges in creating a design that had to be adapted on a
can?
The real life lustre and quality of real gold leaf are hard to capture in any other medium but, as mentioned above, we took into account what the differences in process would be and tried to account for them to produce something thats still as eye catching.
If you weren't creating what would you be doing?
I'dd probably be a gardener, or some kind of rare-plant botanist i reckon.
What’s beyond your wildest dreams?
At the moment in this freezing January; some warmth and sunshine, maybe a couple of palm trees. I'm fairly easy to please.
Who do you take the most inspiration from and why?
I take a lot of inspiration from sculpture, particularly ceramics. Its so unlike what I do that whenever i see it or its process it makes my mind do backflips and gets my thinking.
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