Capital Brewery Celebrates the 200th Anniversary of the Bicycle
(Middleton, WI) What ubiquitous invention was inspired by a volcanic eruption and summer snow in Europe?
In 1815 the eruption of Indonesia’s Tambora volcano caused in a snowy summer in Europe, and a scarcity of oats. Baron Karl Christian Ludwig von Drais de Sauerbrum had been working on human powered alternatives to horses, and patented the Laufmaschine, or running machine, on February 17, 1818. Pedals, chains, brakes, and pneumatic tires soon followed, and now we have carbon fiber frames, electric bikes, and bike powered taxis.
In honor of this auspicious event Capital Brewery in conjunction with the Capital Bike Club will brew a special beer and sponsor a bicycle raffle, vintage bike rodeo, bike swap, and many other bike-centric events throughout the 2018 Bier Garten season.
A portion of the proceeds from the sales of Ludwig’s Lager will be donated to the Capital Off-Road Pathfinders (CORP), the Bombay Bicycle Club, and the Wisconsin Bike Federation.
In addition Capital will host a vintage bicycle race. The cyclists will participate in a re-creation of the what is considered the world’s first bicycle race – held near Mannheim, Germany in 1817 – at the Capital Brewery Bier Garten a.k.a. Middleton’s Backyard!
“Bombay Bicycle Club is excited to partner with Capital Brewery Bike Club in honoring the 200th year anniversary of the invention of the bicycle” said Karla Kohli King, President of the Bombay Bicycle Club of Madison.
“We are looking forward to another exciting season of cycling” added Richard King, co-founder of the Capital Brewery Bike Club.
About Capital Brewery
Founded on March 14, 1984, Capital brewed its first batch of beer in the spring of 1986. The company has received over 240 major awards in both domestic and international competitions in over 20 categories, and Capital Wisconsin Amber has beer has been available in cans since 1999. Capital was named “America’s #1 Rated Brewery” by the Beverage Testing Institute at the World Beer Championships in 1998, and Grand National Champion in the 2013 US Open Beer Championship.