Purity Brewing Company is excited to announce the launch of their first new permanent cask beer since the launch of Bunny Hop four years ago.
JIMBO has been created to celebrate the life of Purity co-founder James Minkin who sadly passed away of pancreatic cancer earlier this year. Brewed to showcase the very best in British and local ingredients, JIMBO is a classic British Best Bitter that has a recognisable Purity character and balance of flavour.
James Minkin who co-founded Purity Brewing Company back in 2005 with close friend Paul Halsey, was affectionately known to many as Jimbo. A qualified accountant by trade, Jim had a huge passion for brewing which led him in the early days to take on the mantle of Head Brewer at Purity. Brewer of the original line up Pure UBU and Pure Gold, Jim’s passion for great tasting beer with real character lives with us still today.
Sustainability was another of Jim’s big passions and one his first major projects was the development and installation of the passive wetland system at Purity’s Warwickshire HQ. Purity’s Wetland system is a series of 9 gravity fed ponds that naturally filter all the effluent from the brewing process before going back into the water course via the River Arrow as pure clean water. The brewery was named SIBA Green Business of the Year earlier this year at the SIBA Business Awards due to their dedication to sustainability.
With Pure Eco at the heart of everything they do, Purity’s brew team led by Flo Vialan sourced local ingredients to reduce as many food miles as possible for the new brew. With hops grown in Worcestershire and Herefordshire and a malt bill of 100% British malt, this new brew has the lowest carbon footprint of any Purity beer.
Jim loved nature and the countryside spending many years in and around Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Warwickshire, with his passion for sustainability it felt only right to use hops from these areas. Using only the finest hops from our long-standing friends at Charles Faram. JIMBO is brewed with Pilgrim for that initial bitterness alongside the classics Fuggles, Goldings and a brand-new hop Emperor – part of the Charles Faram hop breeding programme. The combination of classic and new wave hops give JIMBO aromas of mixed berries, crisp apple, yet all balanced with a well-rounded nutty bitter finish.
The Hop Emperor is grown by Simon Parker at his farm Instone Court in Herefordshire. As a tribute to Jim, Charles Faram felt compelled to name the new hop in his memory. The Minkin family were given the opportunity to choose the name, and landed on Emperor to reflect Jim’s love and fascination of Roman history which was evident when he found a number of Roman coins when excavating the wetland system back in 2005.
Purity has also announced that 5 pence from every pint sold of JIMBO will be donated to the UK medical research charity Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund (PCRF), founded in 2004 by Maggie Blanks, following the death of her husband from the disease. Pancreatic cancer has the lowest survival rate of all common cancers and PCRF is dedicated solely to funding more research into this aggressive and complex disease. To date, the charity has funded over £13 million of cutting-edge research projects focusing on early diagnosis, new treatments, and ways to make existing treatments more effective. In 2016, PCRF funded a national pancreas tissue bank, the only such tissue bank in the world.
Purity hopes that some good can come out of the devastating loss of our close friend and colleague by supporting this wonderful charity. Since his passing, Purity alongside the Minkin Family have already raised over £4000 for PCRF.
Paul Halsey co-founder and CEO said of the new beer: “2020 has been a tough year for everyone with the global pandemic and the sad news with my best friend Jimbo. I am incredibly proud of the beer
we’ve created and I know that Jimbo would have been proud of Flo and the team and what they’ve produced. The passing of Jim has left a huge hole in the Purity Family – we hope that this beer does him justice and leaves a legacy as big as Jim’s heart and passion for Purity.”
Maggie Blanks CEO of Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund added: “We’re hugely grateful to the Purity team for fundraising in memory of Jim. It’s a perfect tribute to him to know that buying a pint of JIMBO will not only help us to fund the very best research, but also raises a glass to Jim’s memory.”
Paul added: “Although I’m sure he would have had his own idea on how it could have been even better. We hope that everyone enjoys the beer and it’s the perfect pint to share with friends at the local or down the rugby club. Working with the Minkin family I am also incredibly honoured to donate a percentage of each pint to the Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund and I hope in this beer and our ongoing sustainability efforts we can continue Jim’s legacy.”
October 2020 also sees Purity celebrate 15 years of business with JIMBO as the first in a series of planned limited releases. To celebrate, over the course of the next year the Warwickshire based brewery plans to collaborate with a number of long-term friends and partners as well as the return of some previous favourites.
Initially JIMBO will be released in cask from 28th October only, although a limited release of 5L mini casks will be available to buy via Purity’s online shop and selected retailers as we move towards Christmas.
For more information on Purity Brewing head to their website – www.puritybrewing.com or to learn more about Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund head to www.pcrf.org.uk
In addition to releasing a very best bitter, aptly named JIMBO. Another way Purity will celebrating Jim’s life, is by hosting virtual cheers to JIMBO, with key colleagues, customers and friends that have known him through the years. The virtual cheers will take place at 6pm, on Facebook, , where we encourage you all to raise a glass to commemorate JIMBO and everything he stood for. #CHEERSJIMBO
Notes to editors
About Purity Brewing Co.
Purity Brewing Co. is a company dedicated to making a difference. In its award-winning products: Mad Goose, Pure Gold, Pure UBU, Saddle Black, Longhorn IPA, Lawless Lager and Bunny Hop – Purity demands premium quality and uniqueness. In service, Purity offers distinction, approachability, and integrity.
Central to the brewer is a strong commitment to supporting the environment. Purity only uses natural ingredients, supports recycling programmes and respects the community. Also, waste products are recycled through a pond and wetland system. This sustainable eco-system helps minimise carbon dioxide emissions and encourage wildlife diversity.
Issued by Purity Brewing Company
For further information please contact : Paul Brazier press@puritybrewing.com