Iron Maiden to release own beer - Sky News Australia

Updated: 14:26, Wednesday March 13, 2013

Iron Maiden are releasing their own beer.

The British heavy metal legends have teamed up with family brewers Robinsons to create the signature ale 'Trooper', which shares its name with the band's 1983 single.

The alcoholic drink was developed by the brewery in Stockport, England, and the group's lead singer Bruce Dickinson who regularly tasted the beverage to ensure it was perfect.

Real ale lover Bruce was thrilled when he and Iron Maiden were approached to create their own beer and is really pleased with the result.

The rocker said: 'I'm a lifelong fan of traditional English ale; I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when we were asked to create our own beer. I have to say that I was very nervous -Robinsons are the only people I have had to audition for in 30 years. Their magic has been to create the alchemical wedding of flavour and texture that is Trooper. I love it.'

All bottles and draft pumps of Trooper will be adorned with the image of the band's mascot Eddie dressed in a 19th century British military outfit carrying a sabre and a Union Flag - the same image that was used on the song's single sleeve.

Bassist Steve Harris' inspiration for writing 'The Trooper' was Lord Tennyson's poem 'The Charge of the Light Brigade' about the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War and the thundering track is a highlight of Iron Maiden's live shows.

Oliver Robinson, Managing Director of Robinsons, is delighted with the beer, saying: 'Trooper is a premium British ale with true depth of character and flavour. For more than thirty years, the unmistakable icon of Eddie, the band's instantly-recognisable mascot, has adorned every album cover, T-shirt and poster - so it is fitting that Eddie will now adorn the cask pump clip and take centre stage on the bottle label of Trooper.'

The beer will be on sale from May 2013 at www.ironmaidenbeer.com, while Iron Maiden will headline the Download Festival at Donington Park for a record fifth time this summer.