Brewery Backstory

Or is that "Gackstory?"

Here is an excerpt that opens up a window into the venerable brewing concern Gack&Bacon Ltd, dateline 1940:

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The firm of Gack&Bacon Ltd. was ancient even by European standards.  It was founded on 17 November 1559- exactly one year to the day after Queen Elizabeth I’s coronation.  Legend has it that the brewery came into existence due to an astonishing demand for beer as the populace started to relax after the contentious and violent reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary I.

The very name created an aura.  The “Gack” came from the surname of  the family who had owned the concern in a continuous line since its origin.  The “Bacon”, however, was shrouded in mystery.  Many fans of its products claimed that “Bacon” was simply the surname of a partner of the original Gacks, who was involved in the brewery’s founding.  There were whispers of a falling out between the two men of epic proportions, with rumours of some renegade Baconites somewhere in England still plotting their cold dish of revenge.  Other, contradictory, stories spoke of a heroic tale of brotherhood as the two men fought side by side in the Elizabethan Navy, Bacon losing his life in battle against the Spanish while a wounded Gack wept by his side.  Others maintained that the word referred to a highly unusual ingredient that was responsible for the remarkable flavours of some of their finest brews.

Finally, there were enduring tales of how the firm’s name related in some manner to Sir Francis Bacon, who was known to have counted The Pig & Trebuchet among his favourite haunts.  Perhaps the notion of a man named Bacon taking his mead in a pub named for a pig brought him great amusement.  In any event, he had given the establishment its famous motto:

“A Crowd is not a Company, and Faces are but a Gallery of Pictures, and Talke but a Tinckling Cymball, where there is no Love.”

Thus, Gack&Bacon Ltd. was a brewery whose very name contained a fascinating mystery, a mystery which still had the power to spark a heated debate in pubs and dining rooms far and wide.  Only two people in the world knew the true story- Aloysius’ parents, Archibald and Glennis.  And they weren’t talking. Yet.

Family tradition was that the parents told their children the whole story of Gack&Bacon Ltd. when they turned 21, that being an age where young lads and lasses could be reasonably expected to keep their secrets.  As Aloysius came home on leave for a few days, he was only 20, and yet his father was considering telling him the tale since, with the Germans sure to attack sooner or later, he knew his beloved son would be going into aerial combat.  He hid his worry well, but as a veteran of  Haig’s trenches in The Great War, he knew only too well the risks that Aloysius was about to face...

*****

For my novel I needed a business concern, and it had to have a significant Externality. An Externality is "a cost or benefit, not transmitted through prices, incurred by a party who did not agree to the action causing the cost or benefit."

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Externality)

Our hero, Aloysius, is a brewer.  Brewing interesting craft beers is an intellectually satisfying pursuit and enjoying beer or other alcoholic beverages in moderation can be an enjoyable thing in life.  Yet there is a potentially terrible cost to individuals and society from the manufacture and distribution of any form of alcohol- alcoholism, domestic abuse, drunk driving deaths and many other things.  I chose this endeavour for my main character because most products and services in this world do carry some potential negative consequences.  The producer or creator has a choice between ignoring their Externalities or dealing with them is a responsible and forthright manner.  This concept needs to be explored, hence the need for mead.

I also am contrasting a connected, unique, human business whose mission is to delight people to a corporate firm whose overriding purpose is to make profits. Brewing fascinating beers is an excellent model with which to present this conflict in fictional form.

Comments

[Joel]

Now that all my own book stuff is under control, I'll have to get to writing you some music and designing some beer labels and pub logos, eh?