Life is extraordinarily precious, joyous...and fragile. At Stone, we recently were reminded of this when we lost our dear friend and coworker, Matt Courtright. We felt that there was no better way to share with the world what an extraordinary person he was than by brewing this beer he created. Rather than a somber momento, please think of this as a celebration of Matt. We do. We can’t contemplate it any other way. Matt was by no means a shrinking violet. Quite the contrary. He was exuberant, courageous, outwardly positive, and the type of stalwart friend everybody who knew him was happy to have in their corner. Matt’s smile and voluminous laugh were infectious mainstays around the brewery. He was larger than life in every way...and he was without a doubt an incredible brewer.
Everyone at Stone recognized Matt’s prowess and passion for brewing. He loved to explore what-ifs and why-nots. He crafted the beer you hold in your hands, which he conceived with Stone friend and colleague, Brian Bishop. Burning Rosids is a Belgian-style saison incorporating a unique ingredient-cherrywood smoked malt (the name references the rosid plant family from which cherry trees hail).
Brian and Matt’s many devoting brewing comrades here at Stone were proud to hoist this mash paddles and brew this recipe for him as a symbolic gesture of how much he meant to everyone and how immensely he is missed. When you enjoy this very special beer, please join all of us in raising your glass in Matt’s memory and to everything he so passionately stood for: contributing and caring for others, passion and skill for his art, and laugther. Lots of laughter. Among the list of things he held dear was GoDesignInc.org, a charity committed to fulfilling the architectural needs of developing communities around the world, and we are proudly contributing funds earned through the sale of this beer to this worthy organization in Matt’s honor. Enjoy, and please remember that life and those we hold dear are precious gifts to be cherised every day. Consider sharing this beer, conversations on life’s passions and, again, lots of laughter, with good friends as we remember ours.