Breweries answer call for fire relief beer
New Resilience brew goes to Camp Fire fund
The deadliest fire in California history has set into motion the largest charitable collaboration ever among the nation’s breweries, as more than 1,200 have signed on to brew a beer to raise funds for those affected by the Camp Fire in Northern California. Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., which is located in Chico, California, part of Butte County but west of the areas hardest hit by the fire, fed first responders and displaced residents during the fire and handed out clothing. But Ken Grossman, who founded the brewery in 1980, wanted to do more. He decided to brew a special beer, Resilience Butte County Proud IPA, and donate the proceeds to the Sierra Nevada Camp Fire Relief Fund, which it seeded with a $100,000 donation. Then, Grossman asked other breweries across the U.S. to join in. “We are working with malt, hop and yeast suppliers to provide raw ingredient donations to all participating breweries and are asking those breweries to donate 100 percent of their sales to the fund, as well,” he said in the letter, a copy of which is posted online. “We know that the rebuilding process will take time, but we’re in this for the long haul,” Grossman said. Collaboration is common among independent brewers, and so is the brewing of charity beers. But the response to Sierra Nevada’s Camp Fire initiative has been historic. “I’m quite sure that it’s both the largest-ever collaboration and the biggest industry charity ever,” said Garrett Oliver, brewmaster at Brooklyn Brewery. So far, more than 1,200 breweries have pledged to make their own batches of Resilience Butte County Proud IPA. “This is a great idea spearheaded by a great indie craft brewing pioneer supporting a great cause,” said Sam Calagione, co-founder of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton, Delaware, which brewed its batch of Resilience IPA and plans to serve it in late December. “Our thoughts are with all of the brave folks who have helped navigate this challenging moment in Northern California and all of the families who have lost love ones,” Calagione said. Another of the participating breweries, Fort Collins, Colorado-headquartered New Belgium Brewing, recalls the hardship caused by the nearby 2012 High Park fire. The brewery’s paperboard manufacturer, Graphic Packaging International, is located in Oroville, California, in Butte County. “Many of their co-workers have tragically lost their homes, yet they’re still coming to work every day. That is the definition of resilience, and we’re happy to support recovery efforts in any way that we can,” New Belgium Brewing CEO Steve Fechheimer said. Breweries joining include small, midsize and regional ones nationwide as well as Anheuser-Busch-owned Goose Island Beer Co. and Miller Coors-owned Blue Moon Brewing Co. For a complete list, go to Sierra Nevada’s website.