As mentioned in my last post, thanks to a Christmas gift of a home-brewing kit, I have made a foray into a new and different outlet for my creativity.
Now, before you become concerned that this blog will turn into a platform for the discussion of such arcane terms as ‘mouthfeel’, ‘lacing’ and ‘wort’, fret not. This is merely a brief diversion and I shan’t be growing a beard and insisting all ale is served at room temperature.
The kit I received came with all the necessary ingredients to brew an India Pale Ale with a target ABV of 6.2%, which was branded as ‘Docker’s Merseyside IPA’.
Now, whilst I did follow the instructions to the letter, as it was my first time and I didn’t want to cock it up, as this was brewed in my own “brewery” (the corner of my dining room), I felt that I should be able to name both the “brewery” and the beer myself. And maybe get some labels printed up to stick on the bottles.
Because… well, why not?
Regular readers may recall that a certain Constable Rowan walked past a brewery on his way to work, so it seemed obvious that any beer I made would come from The Blackwell Brewing Co.
As for the name of the beer, it had to reflect both the type of beer and be significant to me. And this is how my mind works…
It’s an IPA, which stands for India Pale Ale and as I’d already decided it’s from The Blackwell Brewing Co., I’m in the Victorian mindset, so thinking the Raj. It’s 6.2% ABV, which is pretty strong… India, strong…elephants. Elephant beer already exists, so can’t do that. However, one of the most famous Victorian circus elephants was named Jumbo…which also happened to be my nickname when I was a baby, due to being quite big. Boom! Jumbo IPA it is…
And the proof is in the pouring…
Tune in next time, when will return to you regular scheduled programming…
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