Visually impaired, Gold Medal winning GB Para-Athlete Dan Pembroke MBE has teamed up with the award-winning, independent brewery Siren Craft Brew to make a full batch brew of his Paris Gold home brew. The beer is now available online direct from the brewery in 440ml cans, and is shipping to a select few pubs from today.
A keen home-brewer, Pembroke’s journey has already featured on the likes of Sky Sports News and the BBC, as his ‘Paris Gold’ ale, using hops grown on his own allotment, helped him manifest his Gold Medal and world record javelin performance at the recent Paralympic Games.
Given the popularity of the beer among the media and Pembroke’s fellow GB para-athletes, to mark his Paris achievements, and as a vehicle to raise awareness of accessibility and inclusion, he announced publicly that he was looking for a brewery to scale up his recipe and get Paris Gold into the hands of beer fans across the country.
Known for collaborations of all shapes and sizes, Siren Craft Brew rose to the challenge. The beer itself is a 4% ABV West Coast style pale ale, which the brewers describe as being crisp and refreshing with citrus and tropical fruit aromas. Naturally, it pours with a golden colour in the glass.
Dan Pembroke, Double Javelin Gold Medallist, commented: “I first brewed this beer in the lead up to the Paris Paralympic games, and I gave it the very simple but meaningful name. This was my way of manifesting the result I wanted to achieve on the night of the 5th September in Paris. The beer lived up to its name, I not only defended my Tokyo title and got Paris gold, but I broke two world records in the process.
I am thrilled that Siren has helped me achieve yet another dream, to brew a commercial beer for the first time. I can’t wait to see this beer in the hands of customers and my team mates.”
Andy Nowlan, head of marketing Siren Craft Brew, added: “When we first heard Dan’s story and his energy and enthusiasm for this beer, we knew we had to help him bring it to life.
“We’re proud to partner with Dan on not only making a delicious beer, but also helping him to raise awareness of non-visible disabilities, which is hugely important to him. We can’t wait to see where the Paris Gold journey continues next!”
Pembroke says that the moral of the Paris Gold story is that “you need to back yourself” – and he’s doing just that by laying down his next challenge. The brewer/para-athlete team are now looking for a supermarket to back the project and stock the beer on its shelves in 2025 and beyond, supporting Dan as he strives to defend his title once again and take home a third gold in LA in 2028.
Siren Craft Brew, based near Reading, Berkshire, also had a busy summer, working on its biggest ever collaboration. ‘Something In The Water’ was a sci-fi red berry sour beer inspired by 20th Century Studios Alien: Romulus. The box office beer was incredibly popular, selling out across independent cinemas, bars and pubs all over the country.
