Skinner's to supply beer for Jack Johnson gigs

June 2, 2008: Skinner's Brewery is preparing to serve up to 50,000 pints at a mammoth two-day Cornish music event after winning the biggest contract of its kind in its history.

Skinner's has been chosen to supply ale and cider for Jack Johnson’s headline gig at Watergate Bay, near Newquay, on July 5 and 6, which is expected to attract around 20,000 people and is part of a nationwide tour.

Johnson is one of the UK’s favourite artists and, according to brewery managing director Steve Skinner, the drinks for an event of this scale would normally have been supplied by a big-league national brewer. “But Jack is a keen surfer and lover of Cornwall and made it clear he was looking for a local brewer.

“We are thrilled that he has placed his confidence in us and we are also delighted to be co-operating with him in his wish to make his tour as green as possible. We will be serving the drinks in our new bio-degradable ‘glasses’ that look like plastic but aren’t. They are made from starch extracted from maize, a renewable crop. The starch is processed to produce dextrose, which is then fermented into lactic acid. After use, the ‘glass’ is composted to grow more crops," added Steve.

The new ‘glasses’ will also be used by Skinner's at other big events this year, including the Tall Ships Regatta, at Falmouth, Beach Break Live, at Polzeath, and the Surf 7s, at Newquay.

The Watergate Bay show was originally just going to be held on July 5, but demand for tickets was so great that a second night was quickly added.

The bill will include local musician Neil Halstead, while special guests will be G Love and Special Sauce, who will be bringing their blues-infused hip hop back to Cornwall after a sellout headline show in 2007.

Johnson will be singing tracks from his latest album, Sleep Through the Static, which quickly went gold when released in February.