Inside the Peaky Blinders battle which is brewing between producers and a small beermaker

March 2024 · 2 minute read

PRODUCERS of crime drama Peaky Blinders and a small brewery are involved in a bit of a Brum do over a themed ale.

Sadler’s Ales has been making drinks linked to the 1900s Birmingham street gang since 2014.

Producers of the show, which returns to BBC One on Sunday night with all episodes available on iPlayer, initially gave the brew a thumbs up.

The business, founded in 1861 in Stourbridge, has won awards for its Sadler’s Peaky Blinder pale ale and wanted to open a distillery and bar.

But the show’s makers, Caryn Mandabach Productions, have now opposed the application.

Beer expert Ed Holton, who has a craft ale blog online, said: “This is ridiculous, once again it seems like a corporation can’t take a compliment and puts profit first.

"A brewery founded in the Black Country was paying homage to its city and is being punished.”

The flat cap-wearing mobsters who inspired the show, which stars Cillian Murphy as gangster Tommy Shelby and Paul Anderson as his brother Arthur, feature on the beer’s label.

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The scuffle began when Sadler’s Ale applied to the Intellectual Property Office to have its Sadler’s Peaky Blinder Distillery and Bar approved.

Their branded beer, gin, rum and whisky was never officially endorsed by the programme but the producers seemed to be on board.

The Sun revealed this month that Caryn Mandabach Productions wants to trademark the show’s name to open bars and restaurants of its own.

Neither the BBC nor Caryn Mandabach commented.

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