ROCK group Status Quo have joined forces with a Witney brewery to release their own beer.

The rock veterans, led by Rick Parfitt and Francis Rossi, are launching their Piledriver beer in hundreds of pubs from today with the Wychwood Brewery.

They teamed up with staff at the brewery, in The Crofts, to create a drink named after their 1972 album. It will be available in more than 900 Wetherspoons pubs.

Mr Rossi said: “Music and beer go well together. Anyone denying that has never been to a gig and certainly not a Quo show. We wanted to create something special for the fans, and us, of course, to enjoy. Piledriver is it.”

Mr Parfitt added: “Piledriver is renowned as one of those albums where it all went right — the chemistry was perfect and the fun flowed.

“Wychwood Brewery has helped us create a beer with the same ethos, and a huge gorilla as a truly arresting logo.”

Head brewer Jeff Drew said: “It has been great to work with Status Quo on this. We wanted to create something interesting that had a malty, hoppy bitter flavour, but wasn’t too strong or too sweet.”

Piledriver, a 4.3 per cent alcohol amber ale, is available in bottles and on tap.

Wetherspoon’s chief executive John Hutson said: “We’re delighted that Piledriver is being launched exclusively in our pubs.”

Quo’s Piledriver album is being reissued as a deluxe edition next month.