It is said that that the first Europeans to experience the impact of a falling coconut were a group of Portuguese sailors. Under the command of Duarte Barbosa, captain of the Victoria on a voyage more than 500 years ago, a landing party was sent to investigate a small coral island in what is thought to be the present day Maldives. The crewmen however got utterly lost on the Island and decided to rest under an unknown palm tree. Sliding into an exhausted sleep they were quickly woken by what they first thought to be giant droppings from the infamous Brown Boobies, a giant seabird known to be a constant nuisance to sailors when out of a sudden they would fall from the sky in a Stuka-like attack fashion. Relieved they were, the poor sailors, when they realized they were under no booby attack, but simply the victims of falling coconuts. And ever since that day coconuts have been a very popular ingredient in foods as diverse as chocolate bars and Imperial Porters. Actually it’s on that very Maldive island the first Coconut Porter is said to have been brewed. And that dear friends is a true story.