Rare beer raises money for Dr Jenner museum

The vine used to make the beer was planted by Dr Jenner in 1817

A rare bottle of beer, made from a 200-year-old grape vine planted by vaccine pioneer Edward Jenner, has been sold for £161.

The brew was aged on Black Muscat grapes from the grounds of Dr Jenner's house in Berkeley, Gloucestershire.

It was auctioned to raise money for the museum based at the site, which is temporarily closed due to the pandemic.

Edward Jenner lived in the house between 1785 and 1823, and pioneered the vaccination against smallpox there.

The beer, called Dr Jenner's Muscat Vine, was brewed locally by Mills Brewing, and only 200 bottles of it were made.

The vine used to make it was planted by Dr Jenner in 1817 as a cutting from Hampton Court Palace, originally planted by "Capability" Brown.

Pete Tiley, landlord of the town's Salutation Inn, who produced the wort for the beer, said the beer was "the very last bottle" from a batch brewed earlier this year, and was "very rare and highly sought after".

"We thought it would be nice to do something worthwhile with it to celebrate a product that is brewed in Berkeley using local grapes and local yeasts.

"It seems especially important that we use the money to help the Dr Jenner House and Museum continue to tell the incredible story of this great man - a man to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude right now."

Mr Tiley said the beer was bought in a silent auction using sealed bids, by a man who lives locally.