A NORTH Essex brewery’s strong winter ale can now be said to enjoy a double blessing.

Sint Niklaas, the creation of the Harwich Town Brewing Company, was formally blessed by the town’s Anglican priests the Rev Erwin Lammens and the Rev Peter Mann when it was launched a year ago.

Now the bottle-conditioned ale also has the official blessing of real ale organisation Camra, appearing it its 2009 Good Bottled Beer Guide.

Paul Mellor, who owns the brewery, said: “It was a memorable afternoon when the brew was blessed. I’m delighted the end product appears to have proved worthy of the honour.”

Another Harwich Town brew also features in the guide. Redoubt Stout is named after the Napoleonic Redoubt Fort, which is just a 100 yards from the brewery, in Station Approach.