Licensees Graham and Rachel Hayes pull a pint of Hadlow Ale

Hadlow Ale is made with hops grown within three miles of the village.

It has been launched at the newly refurbished Two Brewers pub, named in honour of long-closed Hadlow brewery, Kenward and Court.

"It's very exciting to be a flagship of anything - and you can't get better than being a flagship for beer," said licensee Graham Hayes.

Men given free beer

"I've been testing it all week - I like it."

Local historian Anne Hughes said that in Kenward and Court's heyday no one in the village needed clocks and watches because the brewery hooter went four times a day.

"Men were given half a gallon of beer a day free - it doesn't seem quite right because the women were only given lemonade," she said.

The beer has been revived by Sussex brewer Harveys.

"We are operating a very similar family brewery," said head brewer Miles Jenner.

"You empathise with that company and wonder what we can do to make sure they're not lost in the dust of time," he said.