Here he brews again.
Dressed in reflective gear alongside a co-worker holding a Bluetooth lantern blasting tunes, Brad Harris, a full-time family physician by day and self-taught brewer by night, began his yeast parade down Cliffe Avenue in Courtenay Tuesday evening.
With an enclosed steel container filled with Gladstone Brewing Company’s yeast, the parade made its way to Ace Brewing company where it is being brewed to turn into beer for Harris’ fundraiser ale, Love Potion.
This isn’t the first time Harris is taking on a brew fit for love; a few years ago, he began his partnership with Gladstone Brewery and created the Royston IPA. He hosted an It’s Not Just Beer, It’s Love event with proceeds donated to YANA and BCCH Oncology.
The two organizations have close ties to Harris and his wife Dennyse.
In November 2012, their daughter Linden, then three-and-a-half years old, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, one of only 35 children in the province to get diagnosed with leukemia each year.
Following two-and-a-half years of chemotherapy and treatment at BC Children’s Hospital, Linden is now healthy.
While in Vancouver, Harris and his family depended on support from the Comox Valley – and particularly that of YANA, which provides accommodations and funding for local families who need to travel outside of the area for treatment for a child under 19 years of age.
This year, however, is a bit different for Harris’ brew.
Because Gladstone is undergoing renovations, it was difficult for Harris to confirm a brew schedule for his Love Potion.
Following a partnership with Ace Brewing, Gladstone provided the yeast for the beer, and Harris and company paraded through Courtenay to drop off the yeast to begin the brewing process.
“Every time I come to a brewery, they just say ‘yes’,” said Harris with a smile and added he will have approximately 1,500L (about 30 kegs) of beer available for purchase.
The brew is set to be ready on Valentine’s Day, and once the costs of ingredients are covered, all proceeds of the beer - to be available on tap at Ace - will be split once again between YANA and BCCH Oncology.
For more information, visit roystonnanobrewery.com.
photos@comoxvalleyrecord.com
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