Rick Astley Beer: Where To Buy And Try

Rick Astley, the 80s pop legend, has brewed his own beer with the Danish microbrewery Mikkeller. Astley's Northern Hop is a red lager with a touch of ginger, a reference to the singer's red hair. The beer was launched in London in April 2017 in connection with Astley's sold-out concert at the Royal Albert Hall. It is available for purchase through Mikkeller's normal channels and in the UK exclusively via The Bottle Shop UK.

Rick Astley's beer is called Astley's Northern Hop

Rick Astley's beer, a collaboration with Danish brewer Mikkeller, is called Astley's Northern Hop. It is a red lager with a touch of ginger, a reference to the singer's red hair. Astley himself chose the name, adding a playful double meaning with 'hop' being a term for a dance in the 1950s.

The collaboration between the 80s pop star and the brewer came about due to the brewer's admiration for Astley. Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, founder and owner of Mikkeller, was a huge fan of Astley growing up, with posters of the singer on his bedroom wall and his songs on repeat. Years later, a connection was made through Astley's Danish wife, and the pair met in Belgium's De Proef brewery to create the beer. Astley's Northern Hop is described as easy-drinking, thirst-quenching, and well-suited for soothing tired vocal cords or sipping on a spring afternoon.

The beer was launched on April 13, 2017, in London, coinciding with one of Astley's sold-out concerts at the Royal Albert Hall. It was also made available for sale at the British music festival Forest Live in 2017. Astley and Mikkeller have continued their partnership, opening a bar and restaurant in London's Exmouth Market, which offers an extensive bottle menu and beers available directly from the tanks.

Astley's Northern Hop by Mikkeller can be purchased online through retailers such as Beer Hawk and Brew Cavern. It is also available through Mikkeller's normal channels, and in the UK, it is exclusively distributed by The Bottle Shop UK.

It was launched in London on 13 April 2017

The Rick Astley beer, Astley's Northern Hop, was launched in London on 13 April 2017. The beer is a collaboration between the musician and 80s pop legend Rick Astley and the Danish microbrewery, Mikkeller. Astley's Northern Hop was launched in connection with Astley's sold-out concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

The collaboration between Astley and Mikkeller came about after a rumour that Astley lived in Amager, Copenhagen. Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, the brewer and founder of Mikkeller, was a huge fan of Astley's as a pre-teen and had posters of him on his bedroom wall. When Bjergsø heard the rumour, he immediately wanted to collaborate with Astley on a beer.

Bjergsø later discovered that Astley lived in London and was married to a Dane but had never lived in Amager. However, through Astley's Danish wife, who is also his manager, Mikkeller was able to get in contact with him, and Astley agreed to a Skype meeting and the offer to brew a beer together. The pair then travelled to the Belgian brewery De Proef Brouwerij to brew the beer. Astley's Northern Hop is a red lager with a touch of ginger, a reference to Astley's red hair. Astley himself chose the name, which is a nod to his pride in being from the North of England, and the double meaning of the word 'hop'.

The beer was launched at a press event at the Draft House on Shepherds Bush Road in London, with the beer available to purchase from 2 pm on 13 April 2017.

It was brewed with Danish microbrewery Mikkeller

Rick Astley's beer was brewed with Danish microbrewery Mikkeller, founded by Mikkel Borg Bjergsø. The story of how the two came to work together is an interesting one. It began with a rumour that Astley lived in Amager, Copenhagen. Bjergsø, a huge fan of Astley since his childhood, wanted to brew a beer with him. He later found out that Astley lived in London and was married to a Dane, but had never lived in Amager. However, through Astley's Danish wife, who is also his manager, Bjergsø was able to get in contact with the singer. Astley agreed to a Skype meeting and the offer to brew a beer together.

The pair travelled to the Belgian brewery De Proef Brouwerij to brew the beer together. The result of their collaboration was Astley's Northern Hop, a 4.7% red lager with a touch of ginger, a reference to Astley's red hair. Astley himself chose the name, adding a playful double meaning with a reference to dancing. The beer was launched on 13 April in London, in connection with Astley's sold-out concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

Mikkeller has previously collaborated with other musicians to create special beers, including a licorice beer with Swedish Indie rockers Bob Hund and a brew with American metal band Mastodon. In addition, Michelin-starred restaurants such as Noma and Kiin Kiin have their own Mikkeller beer. Astley's beer will hold a special place on Mikkeller's 'wall of fame'.

The partnership between Astley and Mikkeller extended beyond the beer, as they went on to open multiple bars together in London. Their first bar in Shoreditch opened in 2018, followed by a second site in Exmouth Market in 2019, which included a brewery and restaurant. The Exmouth Market site was designed by Danish design agency Femmes Régionales, who also designed the Shoreditch bar. The interiors were designed to showcase Mikkeller's Scandinavian DNA, with a homely feel and a dedication to good craftsmanship. The partnership with Astley was reflected in the design through discreet references to his early pop career, including lyrics in small details and an illustration of the singer combined with Mikkeller's visual identity in a neon sign.

It was sold in the UK via The Bottle Shop UK

Rick Astley, the 80s pop legend, teamed up with Danish brewer Mikkeller to create a red lager with a touch of ginger, called Astley's Northern Hop. The beer was launched in London on 13 April 2017, in connection with Astley's sold-out concert at the Royal Albert Hall.

The collaboration between Astley and Mikkeller came about due to the brewer and founder of Mikkeller, Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, being a huge fan of Astley when he was younger. The pair met through Astley's Danish wife, who is also his manager, and travelled to the Belgian brewery De Proef Brouwerij to brew the beer together. Astley's Northern Hop is a reference to the singer's red hair, and the name was chosen by Astley himself, who is proud of being from the North of England.

The beer was sold in the UK exclusively via The Bottle Shop UK, as well as at the British music festival Forest Live 2017. It was also available to purchase at Mikkeller's second London site, a bar and restaurant in Exmouth Market, which opened in 2019. This was Mikkeller's first UK brewpub, with a capacity of 264 square metres and 20 beers on tap.

Astley's Northern Hop is an easy-drinking, thirst-quenching lager, equally suited to soothing tired vocal cords or sipping on a spring afternoon. It has a gentle gingery finish and is 4.7% ABV.

It was also available at the British music festival Forest Live in 2017

Rick Astley's red lager, brewed in collaboration with Danish microbrewery Mikkeller, was available at the British music festival Forest Live in 2017. The lager, named Astley's Northern Hop, was launched on 13 April 2017 in London, in connection with Astley's sold-out concert at the Royal Albert Hall. The beer was also sold through Mikkeller's normal channels and, in the UK, exclusively via The Bottle Shop.

The collaboration between Astley and Mikkeller came about due to the brewer and founder of Mikkeller, Mikkel Borg Bjergsø, being a huge fan of Astley when he was younger. The pair met through Astley's Danish wife, who is also his manager. Astley and Bjergsø travelled together to the Belgian brewery De Proef Brouwerij to brew the beer, which has a touch of ginger—a nod to Astley's red hair. Astley himself chose the name 'Astley's Northern Hop', referencing his pride in being from Northern England, and the double meaning of the word 'hop'.

Mikkeller has previously collaborated with other celebrities and restaurants on special beers, including licorice beer 'Dansa Efter Min LakritspIPA' with Swedish Indie rockers Bob Hund, and 'Mastodon Mother Puncher' with American metal band Mastodon. Michelin-starred restaurants such as Noma and Kiin Kiin have also created their own Mikkeller beers. Astley's beer, however, will hold a special place on Mikkeller's 'wall of fame'.

In addition to Forest Live 2017, Astley's Northern Hop was also available at the launch event at the Draft House on Shepherds Bush Road in London, coinciding with the release of Astley's album '50'.

Frequently asked questions