NEWTON legend Rick Astley is set to open a bar with Danish craft beer giants Mikkeller.

Yes, you read that correctly.

Rick became an 80s icon during the Stock Aitken Waterman days, he made a huge comeback in 2016 with the number one record, '50', and now, in an unexpected twist, he has decided to take on the international beer scene too.

Mikkeller Bar London will open on October 19 and stems from Rick's friendship with Mikkeller owner, Mikkel Borg Bjergsø.

Rick was Mikkel's childhood hero and the pair met when they collaborated on a beer called ‘Astley’s Northern Hop Lager.’

The pair's friendship developed a few years ago following a rumour that Rick lived in Amager, Copenhagen.

Rick was Mikkel's hero as a child and had posters of him hanging on his wall while a tape of 'Never Gonna Give You Up' was rarely out of his Walkman.

But it turned out that Rick lived in London and that, in spite of being married to a Dane, he had never lived in Amager.

Undeterred, the brewery owner got in touch through Rick's wife, Lene, who is also his manager, and suggested the pair collaborate.

This resulted in a joint trip to the Belgian brewery De Proefbrouwerij where they brewed the beer 'Astley's Northern Hop Lager' together – a red lager with a touch of ginger, as a reference to Rick's reddish hair.

Out of their friendship, the idea of opening a bar together in London grew.

Rick said: “I met Mikkel back in 2015 – through his enthusiasm and passion for real quality, I have fallen back in love with beer.

"London is a great city but it needs a Mikkeller bar and it is really exciting to be part of creating Mikkeller's first bar in the UK with Mikkel and his fantastic team. I know we are going to have a lot of fun and drink some great beer."

Mikkel added: “We have finally found a fantastic location in the Shoreditch district that suits us perfectly. Meanwhile, we have been fortunate to get to know Rick Astley and his wife Lene Bausager Astley, so now we have also found the perfect partners.

“Of course, we always prefer to work together with people who have a driving force and heart. It’s a huge plus if we also have a personal relationship with them."

The partnership with the Never Gonna Give You Up star will even merge into how the bar will look.

Designer Mie Albæk Nielsen said: “We were inspired by the mood of one of his 80s videos, which we think has a unique sweetness and romance while having a kind of 'Italian bohemian bistro atmosphere'. More concretely, we use his lyrics in small details, and Mikkeller's art director Keith Shore makes an illustration of Astley, combined with Mikkeller's visual identity in a neon sign."

The opening of Mikkeller Bar London will be celebrated with a special opening event.

The duo also plan to brew a new beer together, which is to be launched at the opening.