It’s not a brew you’ll be able to find at every liquor store, but a locally-made beer made in memory of a fallen police officer has quickly gained notoriety on the local craft beer scene.
Edmonton-area craft brewery Two Sergeant’s Brewing Co. says the launch of a special beer in memory of a fallen officer Constable Daniel Woodall has been so successful, staff have had to work extra hard to keep up with demand.
Woodall, 35, died on June 8, 2015 after he and other officers responded to a hate crimes-related call in the city’s west end, and shots rang out.
More than a week later, he was laid to rest in a regimental funeral held at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton – after the funeral; a few of Woodall’s friends went to the nearby Craft Beer Market, and they paid tribute to their fallen friend with a tradition from his home country.
“After Constable Woodall’s regimental funeral back in June, a few of his friends came in and bought him a memorial pint, which is a British tradition,” Matt Salucop with the Craft Beer Market said.
That moment got local beer makers thinking about a way to honour him, and it was decided a beer seemed like a perfect tribute.
“Craft thought it would be a good fit, us being military, we basically jumped at the chance,” Kevin Moore, brewmaster with Two Sergeants Brewing Co. said.
Usually, it can take up to a year to get the recipe for a new beer right – but this particular recipe came together in six weeks with input from Woodall’s widow Claire on what the man himself would have liked in a beer.
“That meant a lot to me, and that’s why we worked so hard on it,” Moore said.
Three months after Woodall’s death, the dark ale called Patrolman's ESB (English-style bitter), was launched.
“You certainly hold onto those moments that give you comfort, and for me that was what I didn’t know I needed,” Dave Ainsworth, a close friend of Woodall said about the beer. “In that time, I could look up and give him a little nod and say, you know what you’ve got your own beer mate.”
The product has become very popular at Craft Beer Market, the only location where it is currently available from the tap.
“We’ve been moving at least a keg a week,” Salucop said.
Patrolman’s ESB was also only supposed to be available for another month, but its popularity has led the brewery to make it a permanent product.
“It’s such a popular brew, we’ve made it one of our staple beers now,” Moore said.
The beer is also available at select liquor stores by the bottle.
A number of Edmonton restaurants plan to offer the beer permanently, 10 percent of the profits from Patrolman’s ESB go to the Woodall family.
With files from Dan Grummett