Beer has been around a long time.

It was payment to the artisans who built the pyramids of Giza.

It had a cameo in the epic of Gilgamesh, one of the earliest known works in literature.

There is even a 5000-year-old Persian poem that is both a prayer and a recipe for beer.

So after five millennia, it is a testament to humanity’s devotion to the draught that there can be anything considered “new” in the brewing arts.

That being said, Brewmaster Hank is working on his inaugural batch of BLACK ALE.

Hitting the craft brew scene in the early 1990s, the Brewer’s Association has only this year settled on how exactly we should order this particular pint.

Hop Heads out in the Pacific Northwest pushed hard for “Cascadian Black Ale,” but the geographical claims of origin didn’t pass scrutiny. While they do in fact produce a wealth of Black Ales in Oregan and Washington State, Greg Noonan from Vermont is credited with concocting this variant.

“Black India Pale Ale” was shot down, as well. After all, how can something be pale and black at the same time? (This conundrum should illuminate the whimsical nature of this dark style of light ale.)

“American-Style India Black Ale” was the next moniker to fall by the wayside. This should come as no surprise, seeing as we Americans didn’t have a whole lot to do with the beer drank during the British Raj. Plus, that’s a mouthful to say after a couple pints.

As of ’11, it’s simply “American-Style Black Ale.”

And it’s coming to the Cannon!

Watch the beer board for the arrival of this trendsetting new brew, and prepare to be perplexed by this yin-yangy light/dark ale. With its deep brown to black hue and moderate malty, hoppy, roasty notes, Brewmaster Hank will have your head spinning with this innovative ale.

So, come in to the Cannon Brewpub soon and taste the newest chapter in beer’s long and lustrous history.

Cheers!

~Management