We wanted something cold, fizzy and not too strong that we could call a lager. A session beer that prosecco drinkers would drink...

Cwrw fforest is our very own fforest lager made for us by our good friends at Mantle Brewery just up the road on the Pentood estate in Cardigan. We've been selling it in our 2 pubs the Smwglin and Bwthyn since May 2016.

Since we didn't like the lager we could buy from wholesalers we thought we would see if we could make our own. With no knowledge, experience or equipment to brew we popped that idea balloon and called our local brewery. Mantle brewery was set up by Domi and Ian Kimber looking for a change of lifestyle for the family and somewhere to set up a brewery. Lucky for us they chose Cardigan and began brewing some stand out traditional Heavys and Milds like Cwrw Teifi and Rock Steady, but the game changer for us was when they brewed what is untechnically a lager called 'Hoodwinked'.

We arranged a meeting with Ian on a Friday afternoon and mistakenly took him some trendy hop driven citrus pales. He told us to come back in 2 months for a tasting and to take our beers with us.

Two months later we took up some of the team for a tour of the brewery and a tasting. We had 3 slight variations to choose from, it was a tricky job. Trying to pick 1 beer whilst having to keep trying all the similar other beers just got us pissed* and we're pretty sure we just guessed in the end but we couldn't go wrong. We finished them all and started to get really excited, so we put in a massive order. After the first week of sales we quickly realised our order wasn't massive enough, the kegs were flying out so we doubled it.
*Edit - Apparently I was the only one pissed and it was a very democratic and scientific process.

The beer is golden, hazed, fizzy and drinks like nectar. We can get away with calling it a 'craft lager' (whatever that means) and we've persuaded a few Prosecco drinkers to try a half but not turned any yet.