VICTORIA, BC – Spinnakers Brewpub will be previewing a new beer later this week, marking the anniversary of an older beer that inspired it.
On April 28th, 1992, an ESB called Discovery Ale was tapped at the brewpub. It had been brewed using Northern Brewer hops that had gone into space on the Space Shuttle Discovery, where they travelled 128 orbits of Earth and 3 million miles. The full crew from the mission attended the unveiling of this rare and never duplicated beer.
This coming Thursday, April 28th, on the 19th anniversary of launch of the original beer, a new version of Discovery Ale will be unveiled at Spinnakers. Described as a “low gravity session ale,” this 2011 edition is a 3.8% brew that commemorates the retirement of Discovery from service this past March, as well as the upcoming end of the entire Space Shuttle program.
Following this week’s preview, Spinnakers Discovery Ale will be launched more widely in early May, both on draught and in 650 ml bottles.