March 13, 2013 9:08

Iron Maiden to launch their own brand of beer - video Iron Maiden Tickets

Head to NME.COM now to see frontman Bruce Dickinson unveil new Trooper ale

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Iron Maiden have announced plans to release their own brand of beer.

The veteran metal band are to launch the 4.8%-strength Trooper ale in pubs from May, and it will be available at this year's Download festival, where Maiden headline on June 15. It is made by Cheshire brewery Robinsons and is named after the track 'The Trooper' taken from Iron Maiden's 1983 album 'Piece Of Mind'.

Frontman Bruce Dickinson said:

I'm a lifelong fan of traditional English ale, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven when we were asked to create our own beer. I have to say that I was very nervous: Robinsons are the only people I have had to audition for in 30 years. Their magic has been to create the alchemical wedding of flavour and texture that is Trooper. I love it.

You can watch a video of Dickinson talking about the band's new beer below. Meanwhile, bassist Steve Harris recently put his house up for sale for £7 million. The mansion in Essex comes with an indoor swimming pool, tennis court, full-sized football pitch and its own pub, called the Horse And Cart.

Parts of the mansion in Sheering, near Harlow, date back to 1427 and records of a property on the site is mentioned in the Domesday Book. Harris founded Iron Maiden in east London in 1975. They've since released 15 albums and sold 85 million records.

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