A pub has been paid the ultimate tribute in the brewing world by having a beer made in its honour.

The George Payne in Hove has had a beer brewed to mark the hoppy occasion of being named the best turnaround pub in Britain at the brewing industries’ Oscars.

Small Dole-based Downlands Brewery have made the exclusive brew called Payne’s Pride to celebrate the achievements of landlady Zoe Rodgers and her staff being named head pub.

The pub’s success has also inspired local musician Robb Johnson to write a song about his new best friend George Payne.

Zoe, 35, who took over the pub in Payne Avenue in Hove in May 2012, went to London to collect The BT Sport Great British Pub award from Inbetweeners actor and comedian Greg Davies at the ceremony organised by leading pub industry magazine the Morning Advertiser.

Judges praised the way the pub has been transformed from “a run-down unloved premises” into a “welcoming community pub”.

The 4% beer to mark the achievement is described as sitting on “a solid base” with “bright citrus and hoppy notes”. It went on the pumps at the pub last week to mark national cask ale week.

The pub is getting in the spirit of the week by holding a beer- inspired quiz today and the pub’s menu is also suitably ale inspired.

The venue is also taking part in the centenary festival marking 100 years of nearby Stoneham Park on Saturday between noon and 5pm selling mulled wine, cider and Downlands real ale.

The pub was previously known as The Kendal Arms but was renamed The George Payne by Miss Rodgers in honour of one of the men who developed the area in which the pub is located and who previously owned the land the pub was built on.

She said: “The pub had such a bad reputation as the Kendall Arms, to take it in a new direction we had to change the name. I spent ages researching the area and George Payne kept coming up.”

She added: “Someone said to me the other day that we had made the Poets’ Corner community proud with our achievement, that comment really touched me.”