Ridgeway Warm Welcome Nut Browned Ale

Ridgeway • England

This beer sports the first label ever to ask openly the question that countless generations have pondered in obscurity: How is a fat guy in thick winter clothes going to get down a working fireplace? Not surprisingly, this high-minded concept came from a ten-year-old – George, the son of Ridgeway brewer Peter Scholey – when he was asked for his opinion on what the next year’s Bad Elf image should be. How about an elf lighting a fire under Santa’s bum as he comes down the chimney? Quickly calculating that a healthy part of our customer base has the sense of humor (or sense of humour, as they say in England) of a ten-year-old, we jumped on the idea.

Eventually, the Seriously Bad Elf evolved into something even more shocking. (Surely you read about it’s being banned in Connecticut?) But we didn’t want to leave George’s work on the cutting room floor. We came up with the idea of a new beer – Warm Welcome Ale – to match the image, and added the incredibly juvenile pun, Nut Browned Ale (Get it?), and Voilà, the tackiest beer label we’ve ever made! So far.

Peter got to work brewing the beer, which is of course a classic Brown ale with, er, more balls. It’s 6% by volume, a little hoppier than your average Brown, and with a little extra malty sweetness. A Nut Browned worthy of the holidays, for sure. Keep an eye out for a little earthy funkiness in the beer, the result of a special multi-strained yeast.

By the way, the original Warm Welcome image showed young George himself lighting a fire under Santa. Sadly, we had him painted out when someone raised concerns about bureaucrats in some states possibly objecting to the image of a child on the label. The theory is that children, seeing children on beer labels, will buy beer. Makes sense, doesn’t it? Well, no it doesn’t. But we figured that we didn’t have time to argue about it. Ironically, we were flummoxed to have the label banned anyway in the State of Connecticut, because of the image of Santa Claus on the label, which also appeals to toddlers. The good news is that we won that fight, and you can even buy Warm Welcome in Connecticut. You do have the right to childish puns with your beer.

Warm Welcome: Enjoy the rich, rewarding taste of Freedom of Speech!

And if you’re a toddler, please don’t buy beer.

**DOWNLOAD RIDGEWAY WARM WELCOME SELL SHEET HERE**

Style: Brown Ale

ABV: 6.0%

Packaging: 500ml bottle, cask, 30L keg

Brewer Website: http://www.ridgewaybrewery.co.uk/

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