Real ale enthusiasts attending the Great British Beer Festival in London next week will be able to sample an exotic new brew produced in the Isle of Man.
Visitors to the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) event at Olympia will be encouraged to claim a free pint of Tristan Island Brew. However, there is one minor condition … drinkers must redeem their vouchers at the only pub on one of the remotest islands in the world.
The Albatross is the local bar for inhabitants of Tristan da Cunha, a British Overseas Territory located 1,750 miles from South Africa and 1,500 miles from the nearest land mass of St Helena. It is accessible only by a seven-day boat journey from Cape Town.
The Albatross will soon be among the outlets stocking Tristan Island Brew, a draught beer that combines natural ingredients from the slopes of the volcanic island in the South Atlantic Ocean with many years of Manx brewing expertise.
The Bushy’s beer, which will take its place alongside more than 900 other real ales, ciders and perries at the CAMRA festival, is a product of the strengthening relationship between the Isle of Man and Tristan da Cunha.
As part of its long-standing commitment towards international development, the Isle of Man Government organises capacity-building placements for key workers from Tristan’s 267-strong population.
Tourism Manager Dawn Repetto, her husband Robin, and daughters Jade and Amber, will soon be starting the long journey home after spending the past three months in the Isle of Man.
During their stay, the Repettos arranged for Tristan Island Berries, also known as rubrum berries, to be hand-picked from the lower slopes of cliffs in an area known as The Spring. The berries were then bottled and transported thousands of miles to Bushy’s Brewery in the Isle of Man where owner Martin Brunnschweiler, brewer Curly Convery and the Bushy’s team set about creating the new 4.5% ABV beer.
The idea for Tristan Island Brew was first suggested by Chris Bates MBE, the island’s former UK Representative. His knowledge of Bushy’s Bramble Beer, made using Manx blackberries, led him to look at the possibility of creating a similar ale using the rare rubrum berry.
Dawn and her family worked with Bushy’s and helped to oversee the brewing process, adding the special Tristan ingredients to the mix. The resulting berry-infused ale will be officially launched at the CAMRA festival, which takes place from 11 to 15 August.
Dawn, together with Tristan da Cunha’s UK Adviser Jim Kerr, will be on duty at Olympia to hand out Tristan Island Brew stickers and vouchers for a free beer – if you can get to the Albatross before the end of 2017.
Dawn said: ‘We enjoyed our time in the Isle of Man and made many new friends. It was a fantastic opportunity to work alongside the Manx people to see how things are done here and to develop our knowledge and skills.’
She added: ‘Tristan Island Brew is a great way to help to raise awareness of our island’s history, people and location, while enjoying a tasty beer. Martin, Curly and the team at Bushy’s were fantastic and it was fascinating to watch the process evolve. I think Tristan Island Brew will be a big hit and I’m looking forward to welcoming lots of real ale drinkers to the Albatross over the next couple of years.’
Martin Brunnschweiler commented: ‘We’re delighted to be involved in such an interesting project. I’m hoping that one day soon I’ll be able to visit Tristan da Cunha and enjoy a pint in the Albatross.’
Photo - left to right - Bushy’s Brewery owner Martin Brunnschweiler, brewer Curly Convery, Amber, Dawn and Robin Repetto.
