A tribute to publican, friend, and family man, Matt Bonney, Fremont Brewing Company and Brouwer's Cafe release Ye Olde Centaur Barley Wine Ale.
For many, loss doesn’t conclude with the departure of a loved one. Instead, as many learn, loss remains the burden of family and friends, to ferry the memories of loved ones. Those lucky (or some say unlucky) enough to continue recalling their personal experiences, will compliment the memorial with tattoos, artifacts, or in rare cases a bit of the loved one in their home. But those in the community-focused industry of beer, pay tribute with (you guessed it) a memorial beer.
Pictured Don Web (former) co-owner of Naked City Brewery & Taphouse, Matt Bonney (former) co-owner of Toronado, Kenneth Sorenson (formerly) of Standard Brewing Company/Copyright Northwest Beer Guide
Brewed In memoriam of Matt Bonney, who passed away in March 2019, Fremont Brewing Company in cooperation with Brouwer’s Cafe, is releasing a memorial beer dubbed Ye Olde Centaur.
In their own words, here is what Fremont Brewing Company shared what this beer means to them.
Ye Olde Centaur is a collaboration between Fremont Brewing and Brouwer’s Café and is a tribute to beer community legend, Matt Bonney. Matt Bonney was many things in life, son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, mentor, brewer, well-known beer community member and publican. He was a one of kind, affable man that made friends easily and was affectionately known simply as Bonney or The Centaur, to those that knew him. Sadly, in March of 2019 Matt passed away.
For Brouwer’s Cafe and its owner, Matthew Vandenberghe, Ye Olde Centaur pays homage to a friend. In their own words, this is Brouwer’s Cafe’s thoughts on Ye Olde Centaur.
This is our tribute to Matt Bonney, our fallen brother from another mother! Our lover of his wife Lynn, Vans shoes, Cigars, Beer, Clutch, Scotch, Jeeps and Centaur Bonney helped to shape the beer community here in Seattle, was wise beyond his earth years, an inspiration to many, the glue that brought so many together for so many years and so many beers and left us all too soon.
image courtesy Fremont Brewing Company
Brewed to be a barley wine ale, Ye Olde Centaur was brewed in the presence of friends and family, at Fremont Brewing Company. It starts with a sturdy foundation of malts Maris Otter Pale, Triticale Munich, Crystal, Dark Crystal, and Cherrywood Smoked. Complimenting this bed of grain is Northern Brewer hops, which contribute to the beer’s 30 IBU (international bittering units). At 10%, the beer sojourns in three unique types of barrels, each representing a memory recalled by a friend or loved one.
For those of you that knew him, there are peat barrels - he had an affinity for cigars and peaty scotch - Jack Daniels barrels, let’s just say 3 fingers worth in a bucket, and ex-bourbon vanilla bean barrels which reminds us of what his Jeep smelled like.” Said Matt Lincecum, Fremont Brewing and Nat Pellman, Brouwer’s Cafe.
Bottled with an iconic centaur on the label and wax-dipped, Fremont Brewing Company and Brouwer’s Cafe will offer pre-sales of both 22oz bottles (limit 2 per person at Brouwer’s Cafe and 1 per person at Fremont Brewing Company) while supplies last. In addition to 22oz bottles, Fremont Brewing Company is offering 1 Magnum per person, while supplies last.
But this memorial release doesn’t conclude when the last bottle is sold. As a way to further support Matt Bonney’s kind spirit, a portion of the proceeds from Ye Olde Centaur will be donated to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) on behalf of the Bonney family.
To learn more about NORD and the goals to end these genetic disorders, visit www.rarediseases.org
Ye Old Centaur pre-sales are Sunday, January 3rd on Brouwer’s Cafe’s website from 12 pm. Afterward, order pickups from Brouwer’s Cafe will start at 2 pm to 5 pm, on what would have been Matt Bonney’s 47th birthday. For more information about Brouwer’s Cafe, visit http://www.brouwerscafe.com.
Meanwhile, Fremont Brewing Company’s sales of Ye Old Centaur, will start on Friday January 8th from 11 am and will be available while supplies last. Afterward, the brewery asks that you recover bottles on January 9th, at the Urban Beer Garden, starting at 12 pm. For more information on Fremont Brewing Company, visit http://www.fremontbrewing.com.
As always, at both locations, guests are asked to wear a mask and practice social distancing while in line.
About Fremont Brewing
We are an independent, family-owned, award-winning craft brewery founded in 2009 to brew small-batch artisan beers made with the best local ingredients we can find…Because Beer Matters! Fremont Brewing is known for its barrel-aged beers including B-Bomb Imperial Winter Ale, The Rusty Nail, an Imperial Stout with Licorice and Cinnamon Bark and Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Star Imperial Oatmeal Stout. Fremont’s year-round offerings include Lush IPA®, Golden Pilsner, Interurban IPA, Sky Kraken Hazy Pale Ale, Dark Star Imperial Oatmeal Stout and creative one-off beers, such as its Head Full of Dynomite Hazy IPA Series and the Field to Ferment fresh hop series. Fremont Brewing…Because Beer Matters! www.fremontbrewing.com
About Brouwer’s Cafe
We have 64 craft beers on draft, a selection of over 400 bottles from both the U.S. and abroad, an exceptional selection of Scotch and American Whisk(e)ys and a full service bar, and Belgian-inspired cuisine.
Our Belgian-inspired cuisine includes our versions of Belgian classics such as pommes frites (true Belgian fried potatoes), stoofvlees (a thick Belgian stew served on Frites), and the Belgian staple of moules-frites. We also serve a variety of sandwiches, such as our very popular lamb burger, which is ground in house. We also have a selection of salads, desserts, and a rotating specials menu.
We serve Seattle's Fremont neighborhood seven days a week, opening at 11 am. Our "Power Hour" is from 3 pm to 6 pm everyday and boasts a delicious selection of small plates and $1 off all draft beers and well cocktails.
