Flower queen brews up a crowning floral ale
By: JimOldfield
August 7th, 2012
A carnival queen has helped brew-up a carniv-ale for revellers in Jersey this weekend to toast the Island’s giant annual flower parade.
Jersey’s Liberation Brewery has created fruity rose-flavoured “Floration” to serve to thirsty revellers at the annual floral float contest, Battle of Flowers, in St Helier – which is expected to draw up to 30,000 visitors this Thursday (August 9).
This year’s Miss Jersey Battle of Flowers, trainee farmer Rebecca Houzé, pitched in to brew a pint perfect for the extraordinary attraction.
The result is a 4.2 per cent very light-coloured summer ale with a hint of rose and accompanying fruit and floral notes.
Brewery owners Liberation Group, will donate 10p from every pint sold to the Jersey Battle of Flowers Association.
Liberation chief executive Mark Crowther said: “Liberation Group is proud of its Channel Island heritage and there is no greater event in Jersey than the Battle of Flowers and so we are delighted to support the 2012 event with their own beer, and a donation which we hope will help towards future events”.
The Battle of Flowers was first held in Jersey in 1902 to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII and was so successful, organisers decided to repeat it annually. A tradition of tearing a flower from a float and throwing it to women in the crowd developed. However, sometimes the flowers were thrown back, and the “battle” was born.
Now many Islanders work round the clock in the weeks leading up the event to create stunning flower-filled floats reaching up to 45-ft long in a fierce contest to claim the prestigious Prix d’Honneur.
HAND-PUMPED links:
www.battleofflowers.com
www.liberationgroup.com/brewery
