D-Day Tribute Brew
Tributes are a way to commemorate significant events and identify with the people who were there, who lived it, and who may have died there. It’s a small contribution to offer up as a way to show thanks or a way to stand in solidarity, a way to let others know “we remember.” In the early months of 2024, I was given the opportunity to create a tribute that I can only describe as one of the highest honors — a tribute that would become bigger than anything I had ever anticipated brewing.
When I started my hobby of making natural water brews from various bodies of water that held historical or cultural significance (as detailed in the January-February ‘24 “Last Call” column), my longtime friend Matt was always on the “distribution list” for a bottle or two. When his friend, Glenn, heard of my brews, he made surprise stops on journeys to collect a small bit of water for me to brew with from Loch Ness, Scotland, and Lake Placid, New York — for which I am incredibly grateful.
Matt and Glenn both served their country with the greatest of honor, have seen the world, and done more than their share to make it a better place. They maintained their friendship in the years since their discharge, and last year both received an opportunity that an incredibly select few got when they were invited to parachute into Normandy, France, for the ceremonies commemorating the 80th anniversary of D-Day. When Matt told me of the opportunity I was thrilled they would experience this event and be honored with the chance to “fly” in the footsteps of the warriors who landed on that very sand that fateful day. Before I could speak, Matt stated, “Oh, Glenn and I already planned to get you some water from Normandy.”
After Matt returned, we met up for lunch so he could hand off the water — a bottle containing about 8 oz. (240 mL) of seawater from Normandy. Normally my brews use about 8 gallons (30 L) of source water, but logistically getting that amount from overseas just isn’t feasible (plus, I’m not sure how that much salt water would taste in a brew!). So I happily accepted the bottle of water and I brewed this for the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create this tribute for them and a gathering of veterans who head to northern Michigan every year to meet up with their fellow service mates. What I did not expect, but also received, was a large flat box with my name on it — a gift from Matt and Glenn as a token of appreciation for brewing this tribute. Inside the box was a framed 11×15-inch (28×38-cm) United States flag that Matt had neatly folded in his pocket when he made his jump. It was signed by both he and Glenn, the white border with the grommets bore the details of the jump date, and a small plaque bore the details of the jump plane. There are very few moments in people’s lives that they will never forget — this was one of mine.
Matt and I met on a perfect fall day in October to brew the beer that would become Omaha Golden Ale. We shared a couple beers, told old stories, and enjoyed the time spent brewing. Adding to the sentiment of the brew, all the ingredients were sourced specifically from Great Britain, France, Germany, and the U.S. to ensure the highest authenticity to the event we were brewing this for. We met up again a few weeks later on November 11, Veteran’s Day, to bottle, label, and wax the beers, which were then boxed up and sent with Matt to eventually reach the hands of the men they were brewed for. After conditioning, the finished brew was spot on — great flavor and exactly what we hoped for. I do not believe the small amount of saltwater impacted the flavor, but it certainly made the beer what it was — the ultimate tribute.
