Breweries That Go Above and Beyond

You’ve heard of do-gooders, right? Say what you will about 2016, but according to this Porch Drinking article, there were a whole lot of brew-gooders making the world a better place last year. Kudos to the breweries who stepped up (as if filling it with beer wasn’t enough). Although you won’t find the Northern Brewer team shooting a “Beerdoir” Calendar for charity (you’re welcome!).

How Craft Beer Gave Back In 2016

• Brian Phipps On January 5, 2017

Photo courtesy of the Huffington Post.

Breweries are increasingly becoming integral centers of our communities by routinely providing fun, flavor, and festivities. In addition, they often serve as hosts for discussions of local issues and serve as a place to share information about local charities. Occasionally, breweries go above and beyond the call of duty by providing aid or money. Here are a select few of the many ways craft breweries gave back in 2016.

Water Donation

On January 16, 2016, the Obama administration proclaimed the Flint, Michigan, water crisis a federal emergency. In addition to the federal aid Flint received, support arrived from Oskar Blues Brewery. Partnering with Ball Corporation, Oskar Blues shipped 50,000 cans of drinking water to Flint from its Brevard, North Carolina, location. For Oskar Blues, this now appears to be standard practice. When Colorado suffered devastating floods in 2013, Oskar Blues created its Can’d Aid Foundation. At the time, it quickly provided relief for residences near its headquarters in Longmont, Colorado. Since then, Oskar Blues delivered 38,000 cans of drinking water to South Carolina flood victims and 16,000 more cans to Texas tornado victims, both in 2015.

Dollar per Pint Donation

Next, a common and quick-to-launch initiative breweries utilize is a pledge to contribute one dollar for each pint sold.  When the night club shooting in Orlando occurred on June 12, people across the nation rallied together to support the affected families and communities. JDubs Brewing in Sarasota, Florida, donated one dollar for each pint sold for a week to a GoFundMe account for victims’ families.

Specialty Beers

A highly effective technique breweries employ to support a cause in its community involves creating a special, limited-release brew where a portion or all of proceeds goes to a nonprofit charity. These types of initiatives are fantastic because everyone involved in the brewery is directly contributing to making the positive impact.