Grafton BrideAle

The origin of the term bridal dates back to Elizabethan England, when a bride ale was an event at which a bride would sell a special ale brewed to commemorate the engagement, but also to defray the costs of the wedding and/or raise money for her dowry. The beer was generally a high-quality ale brewed with the finest ingredients available. Eventually, “bride ale” was shortened to bridal, and the term came to represent the wedding celebration itself.

Grafton BrideAle was the second creation KJ and I have brewed together. We used not only some of the finest ingredients available, but also those that represent our history and that of our ancestors. Since we brewed it for our wedding guests, we were aiming for a very drinkable pale ale that would appeal to both the casual beer drinker and the craft beer enthusiast.

We were quite pleased with the results: a medium-bodied 5% ABV ale with noticeable, but not overwhelming, hop bitterness. Much to our delight, we've received a few unsolicited rave reviews so far, one from my first ever brewing partner, and a couple from folks who it's likely will never be confused with beer snobs.

Grafton BrideAle:

1.5 lbs. Munich malt (steeped 20 mins.)
1.5 lbs. crystal malt (steeped 20 mins.)
6.6 lbs. light malt extract (boiled 60 mins.)
1 oz. Cascade hops - 7.8% alpha (boiled 60 mins.)
0.5 oz. Mt. Hood hops - 5.5% alpha (boiled 30 mins.)
0.5 oz. Mt. Hood hops - 5.5% alpha (boiled 15 mins.)
0.5 tsp. Irish moss (boiled 15 mins.)
1.5 oz. Irish Ale yeast