November 26, 2013

BEER + BARD: BURNING GLOBE with THIS FAIR VERONA  

“… a quart of ale is a dish for a King” – A Winter’s Tale

Ten-year old Madeleine Brooks Gillespie loves Shakespeare and her Dad, Pete Gillespie, is the brewer at the Garage Project brewery. When she read about Shakespeare’s original Globe burning down in 1613, it occurred to her that it was exactly 400 years since it happened. She suggested to her father that he make a special brew of a beer, made with smoked malt, to commemorate the event, and sell it at a function with the proceeds going to Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand! Maddie recommended they call the ale, Burning Globe. 

What made the idea for the beer relevant was that the book mentioned someone’s breeches catching alight and being put out with a bottle of ale.

“…only one man had his breeches set on fire, that would perhaps have broyled him, if he had not by the benefit of a provident wit, put it out with a bottle of ale.”

Sir Henry Wotton’s eyewitness account of the Globe burning down 1613 

“My Dad and I brewed the beer one weekend. We used oak smoked wheat malt, barley, and caramel malts for colour. It has finished fermenting now – I haven’t tried it but my Dad says it tastes great,” said Maddie.

“We brewed a small 40 litre batch on our pilot plant. Maddie’s idea for Burning Globe had been to make a smoky ale, so we sourced a special oak smoked wheat malt to which we added English floor malted barley and caramel malts to give the beer richness and depth. The finished beer will be served straight from a traditional oak beer barrel, just as they would have done in Shakespeare’s day,” explained her father, Pete Gillespie. “It’s great to support Maddie’s passion for Shakespeare, and what a fun way of doing it!”

In truly collaborative style, the manager of the Southern Cross, Gary Clarke, offered to host the event and Playshop Theatre, comprising mainly SGCNZ Alumni agreed to perform This Fair Verona, directed by Lori Leigh.

“I don’t think I could have imagined that my idea would turn into this whole event. We’ve got a performance by the amazing and talented Playshop actors, food and music. To be involved with doing something this big for the SGCNZ is so special. It will be exciting to see people enjoying the event that all started with my idea of brewing a smoky beer,” said Maddie.

SGCNZ CEO, Dawn Sanders, said, “What a treat to have such an innovative idea presented and everyone be so willing to make it all flow!”

At the Southern Cross, Abel Smith Street, Wellington
The event will begin at 4pm on
Sunday 1 December with drinks, and
the 45 minute performance starts at 4.30pm,
followed by more ale.