Glebe brew Immortal Pale Ale to honour their greatest ever player, Frank Burge

Becoming an Immortal is rugby league’s ultimate accolade but Glebe have taken it next level for their greatest ever player Frank Burge and named a beer after him.

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Nothing screams rugby league Immortality quite like having your face on a beer can.

And so it is now with Frank Burge.

Some 38 years since Rugby League Week first unveiled the Immortals as part of a red wine promotion, The Saturday Telegraph can reveal 1920s Glebe star Burge will become the first from that most prestigious of clubs to front his own beer label.

As part of an innovative fundraiser by the Glebe Dirty Reds, 'The Immortal Pale Ale' — with Burge on the label — will be available for this first time this afternoon at Henson Park, during the annual 'Beer, Food and Footy' festival.

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The brew is one of two set to be released by the club's newly-formed Glebe Brewing Company, which eventually plans to have a dozen different ales paying homage to some of the greatest Dirty Reds players.

"And we actually think this might be a first for the code," Glebe director Matthew Carmody said of The Immortal Pale Ale.

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Frank Burge is Glebe’s greatest ever player.

"Obviously the old Tooths posters hanging in pubs have always shown footy players. And there's been some Origin promotions featuring players on beer cans too.

"But we think this might be the first time a Sydney club has put one of its greats onto a beer."

Apart from Burge, Glebe is also releasing a Kolsch in honour of 1911 grand final halfback Fritz Thiering

A Millers Point coal lumper, and pioneer Sydney lifesaver, Thiering was a regular target on field prior to World War I thanks to his obvious German background.

Still, the gutsy playmaker, and professional boxer, not only gave as good as he got — throwing punches quickly enough to earn the nickname 'Flinga' — but eventually fought for the Allies himself, copping a serious dose of mustard gas in battle.

The Glebe Dirty Reds have honoured their club greats with a craft beer.

Still, Flinga returned home to notch up 50 games with his beloved Dirty Reds, a feat which now sees him immortalised with his own beer label, The Fritz.

"And we know the Dirty Reds aren't going to make millions out of this," Carmody said.

"But running a footy club at any level, it isn't the cheapest thing. And right now we're not only looking to expand our junior base, but also create some new pathways with women's teams.

"So we've created the Glebe Brewing Company to not only honour our greats of the past, but also create some revenue for those young players who will become the club's future.

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"Given recently we've revived Sydney's first club, we thought we might as well be the first to put its players onto a beer as well."

While Burge himself had no children, Glebe officials have reached out to descendants from within the family — all of whom are throwing their support behind the typically working class Australian tribute.

And from here?

"Our next step is to get the beers on tap in pubs and cafes around Glebe," he said. "And given we've got 12 internationals, our goal is to eventually create a beer for all of them."

Originally published as Glebe brew Immortal Pale Ale to honour their greatest ever player, Frank Burge