New Grimross brew honours fallen police officer Sara Burns

A Fredericton brewery has created a beer to honour a Fredericton police officer killed in the line of duty.

Const. Sara Burns was one of four people killed in a shooting outside an apartment buildinglast August.

Grimross co-owner Stephen Dixon felt the way many others did in the days following Aug. 10. He was shocked but looking for some way to help.

"I wanted to do something. I didn't know what else do to."

He turned to what he knows best brewing beer.

He collaborated with the graphic artists at Ginger Design and JamesPonting, the co-owner of Craft Coast Canning, to come up with the brew they're calling Grimsby.

Grimsby is available now

6 years ago

Duration 0:42

Grimross co-owner Stephen Dixon and his brewer set out to create a beer to honour fallen officer Sara Burns and give 100 percent of the money from sales to the memorial fund in her name.

The pale ale is named after the constable's beloved racehorse, packaged in her favourite colour yellow. It also tells Burns's story on the side of the can.

To honour her memory, Burns's family has established the Sara Burns Police Memorial Fund through the Fredericton Community Foundation.

The fund will support mental health and wellness, women facing violence, adult continued education to "make our community a safe place to live in. All things that were important to Sara," the can says.

"It's community stepping up to help other people and we're just one of the channels among many that are helping to make this happen," Dixon said.

All proceeds from the beer will go to charity. A day after the beer launched, more than a third of the batch is sold, Dixon said.

Steven Burns said the gesture in honour of his wife has been overwhelming.

"It just gives you strength. It's very comforting. I mean, my boys have seen it and they asked me 'Why are all these people doing this?' And I said it's because they care. And it's just the type of community that we live in."

NB Liquor is giving up its cut of the sales, meaning every penny from every Grimsby sold goes directly to the Sara Burns Police Memorial Fund.