 ASHLAND,
MASSACHUSETTS — When meeting the Pope it is customary
to offer him a gift. Tony Blair gave him a painting of the Catholic
convert Cardinal Newman and Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah
presented him with a jeweled scimitar. When the Archbishop of
York, Dr. John Sentamu, met the pontiff he gave him the Holy
Grail, a beer brewed by the Black Sheep Brewery located in Masham,
England.
The gift of the Holy Grail bottle to Pope Benedict XVI was the highlight of
the archbishop’s first visit to Rome to celebrate the
Week of Prayer for Christian Unity to strengthen ties between
the two churches.
Monty Python’s Holy Grail was specially commissioned
to mark the 30th anniversary of the television program that
made household names of such performers as John Cleese, Michael
Palin, Eric Idle, Graham Chapman and Terry Jones. The Pope
is said to prefer beer to wine and water and this wasn’t
the first time that he had sampled one of the brewery’s
beers.
Managing director Paul Theakston states, “We were absolutely
delighted, if not a little surprised, when we received the
request from the archbishop to provide the Pope with a bottle
of Holy Grail. We do not imagine that His Holiness will be
swapping holy water for Holy Grail just yet, but to have him
enjoy one of our favorite tipples is a real honor for the
whole brewery and give the Holy Grail ale name a whole new
meaning.”
Monty Python’s Holy Grail has an ABV of 4.7%, a distinctive
flavor with plenty of fruity hops.
It is imported into the U.S. by Eurobrew, Inc. of Ashland,
MA. Eurobrew was established in 2002 and is operated by two
imported beer experts, Pascal Benichou and Dominique Levesque.
Importing only unique beers from around the globe, Eurobrew’s
portfolio of imports includes hearty ales from the Wychwood
brewery, (Hobgoblin, Fiddler’s Elbow, Scarecrow and
Duchy Original), The Black Sheep Brewery (Black Sheep Ale,
Riggwelter and Monty Python’s Holy Grail) and Xingu
and Palma Louca.
For more information about Eurobrew and a complete listing
of all their imported brands and participating retailers,
visit their website at eurobrews.com.
|
