Colo. Brewery to Serve 'Tebrew' Beer Inspired By Denver Broncos Quarterback
While Andy Jessen and his partners at Bonfire Brewing sipped on their most recent beer creation last Sunday, they watched Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow lead his team to another come-from-behind win over the Chicago Bears. During the game they had also been searching for a name for their newest concoction, when one of them suddenly said, “Tebrew. Let's call it Tebrew.”
After they all agreed to the name, Jessen's wife Amanda, who is a graphic designer, came up with a logo to represent the beer. The logo features a silhouette of Tim Tebow praying, or “Tebowing,” on one knee with a Bonfire Brewing beer mug in his hand. Above the silhouette it says “Tebrew,” and below it, “The Sunday Sipper.”
“Tebrew Sunday Sipper – a barleywine from Bonfire – is almost here. In the style of 4th quarter heroics, we're waiting until the last minute to serve it up – the moment the 10oz glasses arrive, the real games can begin,” said a post from the brewery on its Facebook page.
Jessen told The Christian Post on Thursday that he never intended for the name of the beer to offend anyone, despite the religious connotation of its logo and its attachment to perhaps the most famous Christian figure in sports.
“To us it's only been about football, beer, camaraderie, community. That's what our company has stood for since day one. That pose, that symbol, that's what it's comes to stand for because of the way it's been used: as a symbol of victory, as a symbol of people coming together, literally, on a football field and doing something great,” he said.
Another post from the brewery on its Facebook page, however, seems to take a joking attitude toward the beer.
“Tebrew will be good for a variety of things – tolerating watching all that Tebowing; celebrating in victory or drowning the sorrow of a loss; dulling the pain of being the victim of a #tebowtipping. It will not, however, absolve you of any sins. In fact, it may cause you to commit many more,” the post says.
Some people have criticized Tim Tebow for being so open about his Christian faith, others for his play on the field, but still he has managed to compile a 7-1 record since he took over the starting quarterback position in Denver and is on the verge of taking his team to the playoffs.
"I think he's definitely somebody you can build a team around based on his athleticism and, obviously, his ability to improve,” said Jessen. He later added, “I think it's clear that he's somebody they need to have in their plans for the future."
The batch of “Tebrew” was made in October, but it was given a name only a week ago because it is a type of beer that takes a long time to ferment and age properly. The company plans to submit their new brew to the Vail Big Beers Festival in Vail, Colo., in January.
Some might be anxious to get a taste of the Tebow-inspired creation, but the company made only a 200 gallon batch, so people who live outside of Bonfire Brewing's base in Eagle, Colo., shouldn't expect to get a taste of it anytime soon.