SHEPHERD Neame has teamed up with Canterbury Cathedral to launch a traditional ale and revive a Middle Age monastic tradition of beer being available in The Precincts.

And at 6.5 per cent, Cathedral Ale is the strongest of the Faversham brewer's range.

Monks brewed beer at the Cathedral and often drank it instead of water because the brewing process killed off bacteria. Canon Richard Marsh, the canon librarian, helped launch the ale.

He said: "There is a tradition of brewing in the monastic community and people living in and around this community drank an awful lot of beer.

"Cathedral Ale is based on an old Kentish recipe and, when drunk in moderation, will remind people of the fun and friendship of a visit to the Cathedral.

"I hope people will buy it because it will help us with the expensive running costs of the Cathedral."

Canon Marsh added: "It's very nice, but it is a lot stronger than the beer the monks would have brewed."

The ale was launched at the old monastic brewhouse in the Cathedral grounds, which is now a King's School dining hall.

Tracey Jepson, accounts manager at Shepherd Neame, said: "The thing that makes this beer stand out is its strength. And we at Shepherd Neame are very pleased to have teamed up with the Cathedral on this venture."

Cathedral Ale will be on sale at the Cathedral Gift Shop in Burgate and costs £2.99 a bottle.

Chris Needham, the shop's manager, told KM-fm he hopes this will give people a different view of cathedral gift shops...