Black Country-brewed ale features in ITV drama
A Black Country-brewed ale being served up on beautiful sandy beach on the Indian Ocean?
Viewers of the new Sunday night ITV drama The Good Karma Hospital may well have blinked and done a double-take.
But the show did, indeed, feature bottles of Sadler's Red IPA Golden Ale Red.
The popular beer was served up by actor Neil Morrissey, who plays barman Greg McConnell.
It happened 10 minutes into the first episode – completely unbeknownst to brewery sales director Ian King.
Mr King had sent 24 bottles of the ale to the production company Tiger Aspect last July.
But he had forgotten about the delivery – until last Sunday night.
He said: "I forgot all about it until the Sunday night.
"My partner said my phone kept ringing, I checked it and everyone was saying the beer was on TV.
"It was just great to see it on TV, providing us excellent exposure."
The screening has already helped the brewery.
The ale, which is stocked in supermarket ASDA, has seen a 50 per cent surge in sales.
Mr King said: "They've already asked for more in their next order."
The production company chose Sadler's due to its connections with hit TV series Peaky Blinders, with the brewery launching a special ale to mark the programme and its huge success.
Mr King said: "I chose the ale because it is one which goes with Asian cuisine, one which is popular with Indian men.
"The nightmare we had was getting the beer over there.
"Getting alcohol imported in to Sri Lanka or India is very difficult.
"We were lucky we got a company to fix it for us."
Sadler's red IPA Golden Ale Red is one of the brewery's nine full-time beers.
The brewery employs nine staff and is based in Lye.
The television show follows a disillusioned doctor who decides to move to India to help in a hospital.
In the part of the episode where the Sadler's IPA is served, McConnell provides it to Paul Smart, played by Philip Jackson, who asks: "I want a warm pint of proper beer and a straight glass."
McConnell gives him the bottle, and Smart says: "Sadler's! Bloody hell."
He then says: "You're not from round here."
To which, McConnell replies: "Dudley, born and bred!" and adds "Let me guess, Aston?"
Smart says: "Close enough. Christ, you travel halfway round the world and you still get served by a bloody yam yam!"
