Newsletter: Wait a minute, you can achieve sainthood thru beer?!?

St. Arnold, the Patron Saint of Beer!

July is almost over and we were almost remiss in not mentioning this month’s Beer Holiday.  Even though it has already happened, July 18th is an important date to remember because….

Ask the Brewer

Is there a patron Saint of Beer?

Of course there is! In fact, July 18th is Saint Arnold’s Day, which celebrates the patron saint of hop pickers and brewers.  During the 11th century, Arnold of Soissons took to the streets to urge people to drink beer, rather than water, which could often contain contaminants during that time.

The story goes that he founded the Abbey of St. Peter in Oudenburg, Belgium, where he brewed beer.  Because the water for the beer was boiled, it killed off many organisms, including Cholera, which could decimate a village.  He advocated for everyone in his village to drink small beer (called that because of it’s low alcohol content) instead of water and for all meals, including breakfast!  His village escaped the cholera epidemics close to unscathed, leading to Arnold’s eventual sainthood.

He is often pictured holding a Bishop’s mitre and a mashing rake.  A parade is held in his honor in July in Brussels, Belgium, with a feast following in August.

Taproom Tidings

This weekend we have on tap “Pyro” American Pale Ale, “Roasted” Coffee Ale, “Fused” Orange Blossom Honey Ale, “Parched” Lime Shandy, “Raj-Agni” India Pale Ale and Raspberry Infused Pyro.

On Friday (7/29) we have Salsa Spot joining us with their authentic Mexican cuisine.  On Saturday (7/30) we have our first visit from Izabella’s, serving tacos and nachos.

  • Thirsty Thursdays $1 off pints and $2 off growler fills (no growler or grumbler fills after 8pm on Thursdays)
  • Chocolate-Strawberry and Orange Cupcake from Groundswell includes a moist chocolate strawberry cake with an orange curd center, and a chocolate whipped cream with orange zest and chocolate chunks

Final Thoughts

This Saturday, July 30th, our fearless leader Dane will be pouring beer on a Paddelford riverboat, for the gluten-free Beer and Bacon Cruise.  For the price of your ticket, you get a 2 hour cruise, delicious bacon focused appetizers, and 2 oz. samples of multiple beers!  Space is limited, so if you can’t get on board with this one, a second one will be running on September 10th.

As always, if you have questions, drop us a note via Email, Facebook or Twitter.

Cheers!