In a throwback to the original India Pale Ales of the mid-19th century, BrewDog today launches its 8.7% ABV IPA, christened ‘Restorative Beverage for Invalids and Convalescents’.
- The new brew’s distinctive appellation is derived from a passage in a mid-19th century medical textbook authored by the ‘father of pharmacology’ Dr Jonathan Pereira.
- The book, titled ‘A Treatise on Food and Diet’ describes the IPA of 1843 as ‘carefully fermented, so as to be devoid of all sweetness, or, in other words, to be dry; and it contains double the usual quantity of hops. It forms, therefore, a most valuable restorative beverage for invalids and convalescents.’
- To achieve the style and flavour of mid-19th century IPAs with a revivalist twist, BrewDog employed the latest hopping technology and brewing techniques at its state-of-the-art brewery in Ellon, Aberdeenshire.
- The signature dryness and pale colour of the beer came as a result of mashing the fermentable ingredients, in this case Marris Otter Extra Pale malt and sugar at very low temperatures.
- An abundance of different hops famed for their intense bitterness, Citra, Amarillo and Centennial, were used to ensure Restorative Beverage for Invalids and Convalescents came as close as possible to being “devoid of all sweetness” as Dr Pereira described in 1843.
- Additional hops were fired at the beer through the brewery’s “hop cannon” after fermenting to add additional aroma.
- The new beer will be available to buy from BrewDog’s online shop from today and available in its UK and Swedish bars from 6pm on Friday 6 March.
- More information on Restorative Beverage for Invalids and Convalescents and the full BrewDog beer range can be found at brewdog.com.
BrewDog co-founder James Watt commented:
“This is heritage and history in a bottle. BrewDog has always been inspired by the IPAs of the past, famed for the huge quantities of hops used to create bold and brash bitterness. With this beer, we have created a beer with such intensity that it is akin to injecting hops straight into your tongue with a needle. It’s the India Pale Ale in its purest form; pale, bitter and dry. Restorative Beverage for Invalids and Convalescents is a mouthful in both name and flavour.”