CLEVELAND — In 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, the 101st Airborne set up a temporary hospital in a church in Bastogne. It was there that machine gunner Vincent Speranza found his good buddy — who requested something to drink. With most of the town destroyed, he eventually found a working tap at local pub, and then carried the precious cargo – in his helmet – back to the hospital. Thus, the legend of the Airborne soldier carrying beer in his helmet was born.
Fast forward to 2009. Airborne veteran Vincent Speranza was visiting the battleground for the first time since the war and was surprised to learn of Airborne beer — a beer brewed to honor the legend of an American GI who carried beer in his helmet. More surprised than Mr. Speranza was Brasserie Lamborelle, the Belgian brewery. The source of this legend was alive and drinking an Airborne beer for the first time!
Now, thanks to De Pinte Imports and BelgianStyleAles.com, this legend is available in the USA for all to enjoy! BelgianStyleAles.com is excited to offer Airborne beer online – along with its helmet-shaped cup. Also available is NUTS! the paperback book by Vincent Speranza which details his colorful life and experiences in the war.
Airborne beer is brewed as a traditional Belgian Brown Ale with anise and clove on the nose. This extremely smooth approachable ale features flavors of (mild) integrated hops, cloves, and a touch of brown sugar. Unpasteurized, unfiltered and bottle-conditioned, it has an ABV (alcohol by volume) of 7.5%. From Jim Wickenhiser of De Pinte Imports: “Airborne beer has an incredible WWII history and a taste that delivers. We couldn’t be more pleased that BelgianStyleAles.com will make it available online to customers across the USA.”
Located in Cleveland, Ohio, BelgianStyleAles.com ships the widest selection of Belgian, Trappist and monastery-brewed ales to customers across the USA. Visit BelgianStyleAles.com to learn about the USA’s only online “one-stop-shop” and Belgian Beer of the Month Club devoted to Belgian-style ales. The toll-free number is (800) 472-0425. For more information, you can reach Jody Lathwell, Marketing Specialist shipping@BelgianStyleAles.com.