Ed Gamble x Vault City x Campaign Against Living Miserably
This week we launched Canned Laughter; an Apple & Guava Session Sour brewed in partnership with comedian, presenter, Off Menu podcaster, covert metalhead and sour beer lover, Ed Gamble. This already epic partnership was made even better with the decision to donate 20% to the incredible charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) in aid of their life saving services.
As an Edinburgh based brewery with one of the greatest celebrations of arts, culture and comedy right on our doorstep, we loved the idea of brewing a special release during the Fringe Festival, but what’s really great about this collaboration is that it came about in the most organic way. Like all modern love stories, it started by sliding into Ed’s DMs after a few shared likes on Instagram…
Nothing’s Off Menu
We’re big fans of Ed Gamble. We loved him on Mock the Week, Taskmaster, and of course his Off Menu podcast. After hearing a few Vault City shout-outs on the show, we knew the feeling was mutual. However, from the horse’s mouth, it was in fact James Acaster that got Ed started on his sour beer journey, which led him to Vault City.
When asked about his ‘desert island beer’, Ed said it had to be our Cloudy Lemonade, which we released initially in cans then on draught as a core range beer back in May. After that, the idea of a signature brew was born. We both wanted something big, fruity and sour, so we got to work on a recipe.
As everyone knows, when you brew a beer with Vault City, nothing is Off Menu. We’ve worked with just about every fruit in some way, shape or form over the last four years, and we’ve taken a few whisks with pastry sours like Carrot Cake and Poached Pear Praline Crumble. Luckily Ed’s time on Celebrity Bake Off had prepared him for any challenge, and we quickly settled on a combination of fruits we knew everyone would really love.
Apple & Guava Session Sour
Canned Laughter, our Apple & Guava Session Sour is extremely juicy and refreshing, combining literally tonnes of apple and guava purée for a huge fruit aroma and flavour.
These two fruits work wonderfully together, especially when paired with our base beer and house mixed culture (that’s the combination of yeast and bacteria that gives our beer its lemony, tart, sherbert-y character). So, at the end of each sip, you’ll find that delicately sour finish we’re known for at Vault City. This fruited sour weighs in at 4.2%, making it super sessionable for the last of those warm summer days.
Canning Ed Gamble’s Laughter
We timed the release of our latest session sour to align with Electric, Ed’s most recent run of shows at Edinburgh Fringe. This meant we could put our pal Ed to work in the brewery to help bring his signature beer to life.
During the brew day we knew there was one secret ingredient that only he could provide…
Taking inspiration from the Norwegian Yeast Scream, a tradition that started in Stjørdalen, Norway, where brewers would give a hearty howl right into the tank as they pitch the yeast in the hope it would make the beer strong and the people who drink it cheerful. We like to keep screaming to a minimum in the brewery, so we opted for laughter instead. It seemed only fitting when working with our favourite comedian during the Fringe Festival.
With the echo of Ed’s laughter filling the brewery, we could officially state that there’s a laugh and a half in every can. But don’t worry, it doesn’t make the beer taste funny.
Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM)
We partnered with the charity Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) to donate 20% from Canned Laughter in support of their life saving services.
Ed worked with Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) on previous projects and we’re huge advocates of their incredible efforts to destigmatise mental health, so they felt like the perfect fit.
Check out their website to learn about their stand against suicide, how they provoke national conversation, and their mission of bringing people together to reject living miserably.
Where to get it
Want to try this awesome special edition beer? You’re already in the right place! Pick your up from our web store here, or from some of the amazing bottle shops across the UK who’ll be stocking our partnership session sour.
You can also pop into our Wee Vault and Porty Vault taprooms to try it on tap, or pick it up from our takeaway fridge!
