I am fired up: it's nearly time for Tabula Rasa.
The Rasa is a very different kind of amber - we refer to it as an Apricot Amber - designed to be incredibly drinkable while still holding a warming 7.5% ABV. I find myself at a loss for how to fully describe it's spectrum of flavors; a robust blend of sweet fruits and caramels blended with a uniquely clean and tart finish.
Tabula Rasa is designed to catalyze celebration; the first pours begin on New Years Eve each year right in our Ale Room and at select local establishments.
The name “Tabula Rasa” comes from the works of John Locke, one of the most regarded writers and philosophers from the Enlightenment. It’s a Latin term translating literally to “Blank Slate,” and was used by Locke to describe the idea that when we are born, we are at our absolute freest. Our minds are clear, without any predispositions or knowledge of right and wrong. As we progress through each moment in life, we learn what we can and cannot do (or should and should not do) based on our interactions with nature and other citizens.
This was a radical idea in 1689; that everyone was born with the same beginning point, and it was our individual experiences that defined who we became in life. This was in direct contrast to the then-accepted divine right of kings; the notion that some are simply born better, more capable, smarter, and entitled to rule. Locke was forced to flee his native England because of his radical beliefs, but his writings would live on to become an inspiration for American revolutionaries.
Tabula Rasa is our beginning; when we possess a free & curious mind which yearns to explore, indulge, grow and learn. A populace is slowly robbed of that kind of freedom with each arbitrary rule forced upon them, and, as we have seen throughout history, a citizenry robbed one time too many without successful appeal will stand up and see what they are made of - to include Ebenezer and his Rioters.
With that, we name this ale Tabula Rasa, as a tribute to freedom in it’s purest form. I invite you to join us for a fresh pint as we celebrate the idea that grew to ignite revolution, and bring about this free nation. Cheers.
-Carl
