In honour of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Professor Jon Downing and the second semester students from Brewmaster and Brewery Operations Management program have crafted a special beer rooted in history called Juno 6.6.44. This brew is an interpretation of the wartime Pale Ale originally produced by the St. Austell Brewery in Cornwall, England, on June 6, 1944.
Historical inspiration
On that historic Tuesday in 1944, St. Austell brewers began their day as usual, preparing to brew batch 98 of the year amidst the backdrop of World War II. They sourced their grains from Tucker’s Malting in Newton Abbot, supplemented the brew with flaked barley and sugar due to malt shortages, and used caramel colouring to maintain a normal appearance. Despite government restrictions limiting the strength of beer to around 3% ABV, they persevered.
The hops for the original brew came from Kent farms (Tipples and Day) and a Herefordshire farm (Pudge), with Tipple’s and Pudge still growing hops today. Ian Tipple believes his family farm supplied the Fuggles hops, while Day provided the Kent Goldings. On that fateful day, as the first wave of Canadians landed on Juno Beach at 7 a.m., the St. Austell brewers began their mash process. By 2:25 p.m., coinciding with the Canadian Third Division securing objectives in Normandy, the brewery had completed two boils and filled two fermenters with 144.6 barrels of hopped wort.
Brewing process
The brewing process aimed to replicate the original as closely as possible, incorporating improvements in technology and control. The brew includes heritage malt varieties from Bairds Malt, as Tucker’s Malting is no longer in business. Students used East Kent Goldings hops and hoped for Herefordshire Fuggles. Light demerara sugar and Black Treacle from Tate and Lyles were added for caramel coloring.
Modern day tribute
The Brewmaster students, guided by Professor Downing, followed the historical timeline with modern adaptations, aiming to finish the brewing process by 2:30 p.m.
Roger Ryman, former Director of Brewing at St. Austell, encapsulated the spirit of the project: “I guess a normal day in the brewery – a case of ‘keep calm and carry on brewing.'” This tribute beer not only honours the brewers’ role in the war effort but also commemorates the sacrifices of those who fought on D-Day, highlighting the efforts on both the home front and the battlefield.
Juno 6.6.44 retails for $3.95 per can and will be available at the Wine Visitor + Education Centre until supplies last.
