Beer is made for friends and musicians alike.
It cleanses the vocal chords and brings you into tune.
Have you met our new seasonal, the Village Troubadour yet?
A Troubadour is defined as “one of a class of lyric poets and poet-musicians who flourished from the 11th to the end of the 13th century chiefly in the south of France and the north of Italy and whose major theme was courtly love.”
How dreamy would that have be
en?
It can also be referred to in the modern day as a travelling musician, performer, or poet. We all know how vital these people are to every community and village that they touch.
Especially here in Alberta where we are lucky to have such a vibrant music scene that truly brings people together – more than proximity, more than language, and even more than beer.
How did this become the name of our winter seasonal?
Well, every beer we make has a story, and most stories go well with a beer. The Village Troubadour is no exception. Our Troubadour was introduced to us by Betty, our Brewmaster Larry’s wife. Betty’s father Edmund immigrated to Canada from Southport, England in the early 1920’s and found work with the CPR in Saskatchewan.
As the 1930’s hit and the great depression took over, Edmund escaped the harsh reality of tough work conditions by becoming an accomplished Ukulele player and winning dance contests on weekends. The ukulele took him away to a happier place, and the tradition of sharing music and dance, just as the troubadours in the medieval times did, was an outlet not only for Edmund but for all those he shared it.
What does beer have to do with it?
These weekend dance contests naturally always involved beer and Edmund did love his beer. Especially the brown ales of Northern England that gave him nostalgia of his younger years in the U.K. Just as music can conjure up memories that take you back to a place and time, so too can beer.
It’s a mild brown ale, best enjoyed watching live music, dancing with friends, or making new ones. And if you take a sip, and it brings back memories for you – it might just be because this ale made a brief appearance in 2014.
So how can this beer help music thrive?
We are lucky here at home that Alberta’s music scene is flourishing, but that doesn’t mean its easy to be a musician in Alberta. It is the artists that bring the vibrancy and colour to the Village and they are a vital part of the community, which is why a portion of proceeds from the troubadour will go towards music charities in Alberta.
By Rebecca Skinner