North Shore Rescue's late leader Tim Jones is set to be immortalized in beer - part of a fundraiser by Deep Cove Brewing Co. to benefit the volunteer team.
The brewery and rescue team announced Wednesday that the two are partnering to create a specially brewed golden ale dubbed "Shredder" with all proceeds going to the Tim Jones Legacy Fund.
The team set up the fund after Jones' death in January in hopes it could be built up to a point where interest generated would be enough to pay for the team's annual costs. "I think the potential is huge," said North Shore Rescue team leader Mike Danks. "I really think that it sets an example and I hope that we can have other businesses come on board and show that level of support because it really takes the pressure off us to raise funds. We can focus on doing the rescues and preparing our members for doing rescues."
The idea sprang from team member Jay Piggot who has mutual friends with the owner of Deep Cove Brewery. "It seemed kind of like a match made in heaven and a perfect opportunity for us to help them out a little bit and create a unique product for them," said Trish Garratt, the brewery's director of sales and marketing.
The beer itself will be about five per cent alcohol by volume, made in the southern English golden ale tradition but using North American amarillo and citra hops, according to brewmaster Kevin Emms.
"It's going to be a really nice sessionable beer. It should appeal to a wide audience. It's going to be nicely hopped but not bitter like an IPA with a nice rich, golden colour," Emms said.
The bottle features a stylized image of Jones and his husky and a tribute written by his daughter Taylor. She also came up with the name suggestion of Shredder - a nickname Jones earned for his intense way of regulating team behaviour and letting them know when they'd messed up.
The brewery is making 3,000 litres of Shredder, which will be sold in private liquor stores around the Lower Mainland after Nov. 15.
Jones' son and North Shore Rescue team member Curtis Jones said his dad would have loved having a brew named for him - not to mention the generous and innovative way of supporting the team. "When the idea was originally posed to me, it was a no-brainer. My dad would have been stoked to have a beer named after him," he said.
Jones was a beer lover himself and liked to make sure his team went for a cold one after a long night in the cold, Curtis said. "That was always our way of concluding a rescue. We went and had a beer and debriefed," he said.
Deep Cove Brewing and North Shore Rescue will launch the beer with a party at the brewery Nov. 15. Tickets are $45 with all proceeds going to the legacy fund.
