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4th March 2015

Just what the doctor ordered: BrewDog celebrates the IPA with launch of “Restorative Beverage for Invalids & Convalescents”

BrewDod restorativeNew beer takes inspiration from a 19th Century medical textbook’s description of India Pale Ale

In a throwback to the original India Pale Ales of the mid-19th century, BrewDog, Scotland’s largest independent brewery 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 bars nationwide from 6pm on Friday 6th March.
  • More information on Restorative Beverage for Invalids and Convalescents and the full BrewDog beer range can be found at brewdog.com.

QUOTES

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.”

James continued:

“This is the biggest, baddest, most uplifting IPA we have ever made. A beer for the hopheads and thrill seekers. We had to go back a hundred years ago to provide a glimpse of what the future of the IPA could be. You think you know IPA, but you have no idea. Restorative Beverage for Invalids and Convalescents is the new standard bearer for IPAs. History has begotten history, the India Pale Ale will never be the same again.”