A microbrewery in North Yorkshire has been signed up by no-smoking pub pioneers, Market Town Taverns, to provide a special limited-edition opera beer.

A one-off opera-themed ale has been specially brewed by Knaresborough-based Roosters Brewery, which is well known for using blends of hops to create innovative and aromatic beers.

The Roosters Brewery opera-themed beer, Chord Strangler, is the second to have been specially-commissioned by Market Town Taverns as part of its campaign to raise funds for Leeds Grand Theatre's Transformation appeal which aims to restore the theatre to its former glory and create a permanent home for Opera North. Work on phase one of the £31.5 million project is now well underway.

Roosters Chord Strangler is brewed with a blend of cluster and crystal hops from the US and has a 3.9 abv. It is described by managing

director Sean Franklin as an "easy-drinking, pale coloured and moderately bitter beer with an aroma of tangerines".

The new ale is on sale at all nine of Knaresborough-based Market Town Taverns premises in West and North Yorkshire this week and stocks are expected to last until mid December.

Market Town Taverns

managing director Ian Fozard and operations director Gil Richardson are both opera lovers, who aim to raise £10,000 for Transformation with a programme of opera events which started this spring. They are donating 25 pence for each pint of opera beer sold towards the appeal.

Updated: 09:25 Tuesday, November 29, 2005