Ruvani Turmeric & Ginger IPA is a collaboration between the 2024 Brewer of the Year, Dominic Driscoll of Thornbridge Brewery and the 2024 Michael Jackson Beer Writer of the Year, Ruvani de Silva – and has been made to celebrate their joint successes.
Thornbridge Brewery and Ruvani de Silva have collaborated on a limited edition cask ale in recognition of their joint recognition at the 2024 British Guild of Beer Writers Awards.
The beer, which follows hot on the heels on the release of Union IPA earlier this month, will be available on 3 March, is a nod to Ruvani’s Sri Lankan heritage and Thornbridge’s ongoing commitment to quality and innovation – combining classic modern IPA flavours of Amarillo and Citra hops with a Maris Otter-forward malt blend and two traditional Sri Lankan spices.
Winner of five categories
De Silva is the first woman of colour and the first queer person of colour to win the Michael Jackson Beer Writer of the Year award, and the first writer to win in five categories in the same year as announced at the British Guild of Beer Writers event.
Her work tells stories of beer culture, history and community, with a focus on issues including diversity, equity and inclusion, sustainability and innovation, with an international perspective.
Driscoll started brewing at Marble Brewery in Manchester in 2005, where he spent six years before moving to Thornbridge at the end of 2010, where he has been production manager for the past 14 years. When not conjuring up award-winning brews in Bakewell, he likes growing vegetables, cooking and travelling.
Made in lockdown
Ruvani IPA was inspired by a homebrew that De Silva made with her husband during lockdown and combines two south Asian spices with contrasting but complementary flavours, both known for their healing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
The tangy sweet heat in ginger is often paired with turmeric’s warm, earthy bitterness in dishes including teas, curries, soups, health drinks and even desserts.
Thornbridge has used its brewing experience and expertise to adapt de Silva’s concept into a British-south Asian fusion IPA that Thornbridge said is “bursting with bright hops and an exciting new-to-beer spice blend”.
The limited-edition Ruvani IPA will be available on cask at the Thornbridge taproom in Bakewell as well as all seven Thornbridge pubs.
