That’s right cats and kittens, it’s been awhile, but we’re announcing the first of 3 beer naming contests we’ve got slotted this year and another chance for you to win a 6-month, 2 bottle membership to The Rare Beer Club®.
So here’s how this one got started. My 19 year old Maine Coon, Rosie, died last October. He was a real piece of work. Yeah, that’s right…HIS name was Rosie! His story is a bit like Johnny Cash’s “Boy named Sue”…you had to be tough to own that name and he was. Rosie was a huge personality in the hood, entered neighbors’ homes at will, was generally as adventurous as they come and into everything, and survived several coyote and raccoon attacks. Lived pretty much outdoors backing up to a canyon with plenty-o-predators for the majority of his life.
So I got to thinking that a cat that was that cool deserved to have a beer named after him. I’ve got a bottle of Jolly Pumpkin’s La Roja on my desk because the artwork featuring this wild, swashbuckling red pirate cat always reminded me of Rosie. Seemed a no brainer to reach out to Ron and see if he had any interest in the project. Lucky for me he’s owned cats and dogs, had owned a coon himself at one point, and could relate to the loss of a good buddy. So Ron’s in. Sweet.
The beer will be based on Jolly Pumpkin’s La Roja, an amber ale brewed in the Flanders tradition offering earthy caramel, spice, and sour fruit notes developed through naturally occurring brettanomyces and lactobacillus from barrel aging. It will be unfiltered, unpasteurized and blended from barrels ranging in age from two to ten months. Ron intends to bump the ABV slightly and modify La Roja’s recipe to make the beer’s flavor profile even more assertive and bold to match Rosie’s personality. In short, a wild red ale to celebrate a wild red cat.
“I’m in, Kris. How do I play,” you say? Here are the vitals you need to know about the contest:
You can submit up to three names by 2 pm PST on Wednesday, March 16th. Three finalists will be announced on Friday, March 18th at which time contest entrants, club members and the general public will be allowed to vote for their favorite choices. Contest winners will be announced on Friday, March 25th. If your beer name is used, we’ll hook you up with a 6-month membership to The Rare Beer Club (two bottles per month club).
To receive this RBC exclusive beer, you’ll need to be an active member of The Rare Beer Club in July of 2016 when it will be featured.
Have fun. I’m really looking forward to seeing what you all come up with this time. I’ve never been disappointed in the final beer name of any contest we’ve run in the past.
Prost!
Kris
