In 2021, we were looking for a unique way to mark an interesting occasion: the 100th anniversary of a huge book donation by Captain Charles Albertson to the city of Orlando, which helped accelerate the progress the city was making toward the establishment of our first public library system. We thought it would be fun to get people talking about the library’s history as we approached our 2023 centennial year.
We reached out to Ivanhoe Park Brewing and asked if they’d be interested in working with us to craft a special beer as an homage to the Captain. We shared the story, and they agreed. After batting around some concepts (a beer with a flavor profile reminiscent of an old book from our shelves was an actual idea we tossed out), Ivanhoe created Captain Albertson Ale, a California Common beer similar to what would have been popular when Alberston was alive. The beer was released in November 2021, and it was a great way to share some library lore with a new generation of book lovers (and beer drinkers).
Now we’re preparing to work with Ivanhoe Brewing on our second beer release, this time in honor of the library’s official 100th birthday. On October 7, the brewery releases Centennial Citrus Ale, a limited edition brew crafted in honor of the library’s century of service to the community. That day, the library and Ivanhoe Brewing will co-host a beer launch and book fair. Friends of the Orange County Library System will be selling books and they’ll have some special titles on display that’ll make you think of the Scholastic book fairs you might remember from grade school in the 1990s and 2000s. Beer will be sold in four-packs, with a label designed by the library’s Graphic Designer Kelly Williams, who also created the label for our Albertson brew. Albertson Ale wasn’t on the shelves for long, so if you’re hoping to get your hands on a four-pack of Centennial Citrus, make sure to come to Ivanhoe Brewing on October 7 from Noon until the beer sells out.
See you there!
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