Northampton brewery releases wartime-style bottles so town can still raise a pint on VE Day

Northampton will get the chance to raise a pint on VE Day this year thanks to a town-centre brewery.

Phipps NBC want Northampton and the UK to enjoy every drop for the 75th anniversary of the end of war in Europe with the release of three new pint-pized bottles.

The Bridge Street brewery has released three of its signature ales in a wartime-fashion brown glass bottle - filled to the brim with a whole 568ml worth of beer.

Phipps NBC co-director Alaric Neville said: "We thought that people might be missing real pints during the lockdown as almost all modern beer bottles are only 500ml rather than a full imperial pint.

"We have tied this launch in with the 75th anniversary of VE Day by bringing out three heritage bottles of beer that saw us through WW2.

"If you can't be at a street party or down the local to celebrate Victory in Europe 75 years ago, at least you can raise a proper pint from Phipps at home and toast our victory over fascism in a traditional style."

The British Imperial pint is traditionally one-eigth of a gallon. The name 'pint' comes from old-French word 'pinte', meaning 'painted', for the marks painted on the side of a container to show capacity.

Because of a quirk in EU regulations, beer in the UK is normally only sold in pints on draught over the bar but the tall glass pint bottle survived as some cider producers stuck with its design and size.

When designing the heritage bottles, Phipps NBC drew on designs originally used by the brewery during the second world war but were phased out in the 1970s.

Phipps has rereleased its Red Star, Cobblers and Diamond Ales in the new pint-sized designs.