MaddAddamites NooBroo

Beau’s All Natural has teamed up with award-winning Canadian writers and longtime environmental activists Margaret Atwood and Graeme Gibson to create MaddAddamites NooBroo, an inspired gruit ale. The light-tasting, herb-and-berry infused beverage has lively carbonation and a pleasantly tart finish. This beer is brewed in honour of the Pelee Island Bird Observatory (PIBO), and will raise funds for its ongoing research.

Note: This beer is an ancient style known as a gruit ale. Instead of hops, we use a number of herbs and spices in the recipe, as was done in medieval times. Without hops as a natural stabilizer, the flavours of a gruit are likely to evolve over time toward more pronounced acidity and tartness. The time it takes for this to happen, and the intensity of the new flavours can vary, but this change is natural and intentional. We invite you to experience and enjoy this evolution in our gruits.

History & Style

Gruits are beers brewed with herbs and other botanicals in lieu of hops. MaddAddamites NooBroo gruit includes many of the botanicals noted in Margaret Atwood’s novel MaddAddam, the third book in her trilogy of speculative fiction that includes Oryx and Crake, and The Year of the Flood. Within the context of MaddAddam there is much foraging and harvesting of plants and botanicals, and Atwood calls this collaboration “The beer Gods Gardeners would have made.” Atwood personally tasted and selected the bouquet of botanicals included in this delicate, delicious gruit.

Tasting Notes

Light in body with berry notes, a tea-like herbal character and a pleasantly tart finish that beckons the next sip. The lively effervescence adds to the quenching nature of this summer-suited gruit.

Food Pairings

Smoked pulled pork; English-style pork & ham pies; fricasee of mushrooms, bacon & fresh herbs on toast; washed-rind abbey-style cheeses such as Gunn’s Hill Beau’s-beer-washed washed rind or Oka.