Rob Halford to Launch Signature ‘Hails + Horns’ Beer at Bloodstock 2021
Judas Priest's Rob Halford and his "beer aficionado" brother, Nigel Halford, will debut their new signature beer at Bloodstock Open Air 2021, the annual British metal festival that kicks off this week (Aug. 11).
Created with the U.K. brewery Backyard Brewhouse, the beverage is called Hails & Horns Halford Ale — it's a modern English best bitter. Clocking in at 4.6 percent ABV (alcohol by volume), the beer arrives even as Rob marked his 35th year of sobriety several months ago.
For listeners who may be unfamiliar, Nigel is himself a musician, a drummer. He currently plays in the hard rock act Voodoo Sioux and previously contributed to his brother's 2019 Celestial holiday album.
Rob shared an announcement for Hails & Horns' unveiling in an Instagram post on Tuesday (Aug. 2).
"My brother Nige (beer aficionado) and I teamed up with Backyard Brewhouse … to make our first kegs of Hails & Horns modern English best bitter Halford Ale premiering exclusively at Bloodstock 2021," the Judas Priest singer shared. He added to visit "@backyardbrewhouse for worldwide distribution inquiries."
In England, a "best bitter" is a name given to pale ales that are a bit more flavorful than those considered "ordinary bitters," according to Winning Homebrew.
Backyard Brewhouse, started in the country's Midlands in 2008, was "created through the love of discovering new and exciting beers from all around the globe," according to its website. "This passion led us to create our own take on the traditional ales we all know and love, and also the modern cask beers that people are now looking to, we've covered the whole spectrum to really showcase the experience [of our beers]."
As for Judas Priest news, the group is currently working on some "very potent" new music. A retrospective box set called Reflections will commemorate the band's 50th anniversary in October.