Windsor & Eton Brewery are releasing Hurricane IPA to coincide with the re-opening of their riverside bar in Kingston-upon-Thames.
The pumpclip features a Hawker Hurricane in the markings of 85 Squadron, flown by John ‘Paddy’ Hemmingway. In August 1940, Paddy was shot down over the Thames Estuary during the Battle of Britain. Paddy parachuted to safety, while his plane crashed at Fobbing Marshes, in Essex.
In March 2019, his Hurricane was recovered and is now under full restoration at Hawker Restorations, in Suffolk. On the pump clip is a QR code for a very moving film tribute to Paddy created by his son, Mike Hemmingway.
“At the incredible age of 105, Paddy was the very last of The Few,” said Windsor & Eton Brewery managing director Bob Morrison. “Mike Hemmingway is a close friend of ours, so when his father passed away last year, we wanted to find a way to celebrate his life and the Hurricane.
“It’s no exaggeration to say that, without the Hurricane, the Battle of Britain would not have been won. The Hurricane was designed by Sir Sydney Camm, who was born in Windsor, next door to our brewery, and nearly all UK-built Hurricanes were built in Kingston.”
In September, a temporary exhibition, called Born in Windsor, Built in Kingston, will be held in the Windsor & Eton bar, Eagle Brewery Wharf, Kingston-upon Thames. Working with local historians, the brewery will be reaching out to the Kingston community, asking for family stories, letters, and photos of the building of the Hurricane.
The beer, which went on sale this week, is a well-balanced 4.5% ABV IPA. It utilises a blend of two of the brewer’s favourite hops, Chinook and Lemondrop, for a fruity aroma and big tangy taste.
