Greene King has teamed up with the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust to brew a charity ale in honour of the statesman who died 50 years ago this year.

The trust honours the memory of Britain’s Second World War leader by awarding up to 150 fellowships each year to give UK citizens the opportunity to travel overseas and bring back fresh ideas and new solutions to current issues.

Sales of Chuchill IPA, which will be available from around 475 Greene King pubs across Britain between now and August, will support this work, with the trust receiving 25p from the price of each pint sold.

The ale, 4.2% alcohol by volume and described as “a fresh, fruity and hoppy India Pale Ale”, is brewed with a total of seven hops and “dry hopped” (the addition of extra hops late in the brewing process for added aroma) with the East Kent Goldings variety, in a nod to the county which Churchill made his home.

It was officially launched at the Golden Lion in London by Rooney Anand, chief executive at Bury St Edmunds-based Greene King, and the Hon Jeremy Soames, a grandson of Sir Winston Churchill and a trustee of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust.

Mr Anand said: “We are extremely proud to be working in partnership with the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust and to be able to involve our customers in both raising money for a great cause and in raising a glass to one of Britain’s greats.”

During their Meeting, Jeremy Soames shared a memo written by Winston Churchill to the Secretary of State for War on October 23, 1944, and held by the Churchill Archives Centre in Cambridge.

It reads: “A serious appeal was made to me by General Alexander for more beer for the troops in Italy. The Americans are said to have four bottles a week, and the British rarely get one. You should make an immediate effort, and come to me for support in case other departments are involved. Let me have a plan, with time schedule, for this beer.”

Jamie Balfour, director general of the trust, added: “The trust is hugely grateful for the support of Greene King. As Sir Winston said himself, ‘Nobody can say I have ever failed to display a meet and proper appreciation of the virtues of alcohol’.”

Greene King, a member of the EADT/EDP Top100 listing of the 100 largest companies in Suffolk and Norfolk, is brewing Churchill IPA under licence from Churchill Heritage Ltd, which raises funds for a range of good causes associated with Sir Winston Churchill’s life and legacy.