750 ml
5.0% ABV
Dr Edward Jenner’s house, museum and garden are situated just up the hill from our old brewery in Berkeley, where Dr Jenner pioneered the concept of vaccines and created the smallpox vaccine, the world's first vaccine.
Back in August, we spent a very warm afternoon at the museum collecting a variety of fruits for this beer. We were last able to make a beer with these historic fruits back in 2019 - named Dr Jenner's Muscat Vine. Planted in the early 1800's, they must be some of a tiny number of pre phylloxera vines still in existence. Grown in a small lean-to glasshouse, and after a hot summer, the fruit is unbelievably concentrated and aromatic.
We were also allowed to collect some ancient cullinary apples grown in the Berkeley Vale since the 16th century. A mention appears in Robert Hogg's 1884 The Fruit Manual:
"This is the Leathercoat which has been in cultivar for centuries......sent from the Vale of Berkeley, by Mr Viner Ellis of Minsterworth to Dr Bull of Hereford, to whom I am indebted for specimens of this interesting apple. There is no doubt that this is the apple which Shakespeare mentions in Henry IV, when Davy says to Bardolph - 'There is a dish of Leathercoats for you' and the scene is set in Gloucestershire."
The de-stemmed Black Muscat, sliced Leathercoats, and blackcurrants (also grown in the Physic Garden) were added to one barrel of beer spontaneously fermented by local indigenous microflora, to make a truly unique and terrior driven fruit beer. We will be donating part of the profits of this beer to support the Jenner Museum.