Sly Fox prepares to release seasonal ale
SRT Ale benefits the maintenance of the Schuylkill River Trail
POTTSTOWN » Spring is here and summer is not far behind. A sure sign of the season is Sly Fox Brewing Co.’s seasonal release of its SRT Ale.
SRT Ale — which made its first appearance in 2015 — is a lower-alcohol, golden, hop-forward American Pale Ale that is traditionally released on Earth Day, April 22, and is available only until the end of the summer.
Sales of the ale support the maintenance of the Schuylkill River Trail, a 130-mile walking and biking trail that runs from Philadelphia north and west to Pottsville.
This year’s release will coincide with Sly Fox Brewing’s annual SRT Spree Saturday from 2 to 8 p.m. at St. Michael’s Park in Mont Clare. The event kicks off a weekend of SRT Spree activities — inviting people to kayak, cycle, run, hike or walk the trail and help roving cleanup groups, as well as a 50K Schuylkill River Relay.
“As we like to say, Earth is the only planet that has beer — so we’ll do whatever we can to protect it,” Brewmaster Brian O’Reilly said in a press release. “SRT Ale and our annual Earth Day SRT clean-up efforts are our way to give back to the community that we love and preserve our beautiful outdoor spaces for future generations.”
In 2015, Sly Fox Brewing Co. was looking for a way to donate to the upkeep of the Schuylkill River Trail. After some discussions between Sly Fox and the Schuylkill River Heritage Area which maintains the trail, the idea for an ale named after the trail was presented to the board of di-
“A lot of people enjoy the beer and some enjoy it outdoors. It has been fun to watch the awareness of the beer and the trail grow almost together — which is cool.”
Brian O’Reilly, Sly Fox brewmaster
rectors for the Schuylkill River Heritage Area and approved.
“The Sly Fox partnership bolsters our efforts to encourage recreation, build and improve the SRT and engage new audiences in our events,” Tim Fenchel, Schuylkill River Heritage Area interim executive director, said in the release.
Each can of SRT Ale features the logo for the Schuylkill River Trail. For every case of SRT Ale sold, $1 is donated to the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.
In its first two seasons of distribution, Sly Fox has been able to donate nearly $9,000 to the Schuylkill River Heritage Area.
“People might think they are just making a donation but it is much more significant,” Fenchel added. “Their contributions are having an impact in a meaningful way.”
The donations are being used toward the organization’s safe crossing project, which improves trail crossings at roadways, according to Schuylkill River Heritage Area Communications Director Laura Catalano.
“In particular, we have two crossings that will be improved this spring. One is at Monocacy, where the trail crosses Route 724 at a steep embankment. While we do have signs and line painting there, the existing signs will be replaced with signs that meet current guidelines,” Catalano said. The other crossing is in the Reading area, where the trail crosses Route 724 in an area that has site distance limitations and where cars often travel at speeds above the posted limit, she added. That crossing will get a complete overhaul, including new signs and a painted crosswalk. The total cost of those two projects is $7,890.
The donation for 2017 will be presented during Sly Fox’s Can Jam Music Festival in Pottstown Sept. 30.
“Sly Fox has been great to work with. They have completely embraced the organization and what we do up and down the river,” Fenchel said, adding that working with the company has helped the Schuylkill River Heritage Area expand its reach in terms of volunteers and new advocates.
O’Reilly said in an interview with Digital First Media that the formula for the lower alcohol craft beer was
“tweaked” just a bit last year. O’Reilly said they found the taste to be a “bit too” bitter initially.
“We didn’t change the character — we just wanted it to be more rounded,” he said.
O’Reilly said sales of SRT Ale have grown each year.
“A lot of people enjoy the beer and some enjoy it outdoors. It has been fun to watch the awareness of the beer and the trail grow almost together — which is cool,” he said. O’Reilly added that while sales are focused regionally, there are some shipments that go outside the Philadelphia area.
Sly Fox owner John Giannopoulos was recently honored with the Schuylkill River Legacy Award for his charitable and philanthropic endeavors during the 2nd Annual Evening for the Schuylkill River.
For more information about Sly Fox Brewing visit www.slyfoxbeer.com
For more information about the Schuylkill River Heritage Area and the Schuylkill River Trail visit www.schuylkillriver.org