Never Alone is a beer with a mission to support mental health
94.3 FM The Shark (WWSK Long Island) Morning Show Host Brian Orlando teamed up with the 1940’s Brewing Co. in Holbrook, NY to create the Never Alone beer to support mental health and suicide prevention awareness. As part of Orlando’s ongoing mental health initiative, which also includes musical collaborations with such all-star musicians as Candlebox, Sponge, Wheatus, Run DMC and more under the project name #ChooseSong, Never Alone’s mission is to remind others that there is always someone willing to listen.
According to the famed DJ, the idea for the beer was quite serendipitous. He met 1940’s Brewing Co. Head Brewer and Owner Jon Brengel while filming the first #ChooseSong video at their location last year and the two began discussing developing a beer to support the mental crisis that was happening during the Pandemic. Further inspired by friend and musical collaborator Vinnie Dombroski of Sponge, who appears on both of Orlando’s songs including the latest “I Just Called,” and his love of craft beer and its ability to bring people together (Sponge held weekly “Beer Sessions” live stream performances every Saturday at as a way to keep people together during the Pandemic), Orlando knew this was the perfect way to amplify his message.
“Jon approached me in December about crafting a beer with a portion of the proceeds going toward mental health charities and I couldn’t say yes fast enough. We recorded part of the ‘Choose Song’ music video at his 1940’s Brewery, so what better way to further the message of ‘with music you’re never alone’?” said Orlando. “I don’t know much about beer but I have seen the way people seem so relaxed at his place, sipping on a craft beer while an acoustic band plays behind them. So, what could be better than a fresh craft beer designed in the place that started it all? And it’s complete with a QR code to see the video.”
Never Alone is a brand new citrus New England India IPA, flavored after Orlando’s favorite drink, tequila. Its light blue label features a concert setting, with hands reaching up (to the singer or symbolizing reaching out for help). Crinkled paper decorates the background, symbolizing every note written and never sent. In red ink, it reminds anyone looking, “With music, you are never alone.”
Available at the 1940’s Brewing Co. and select regional locations, for every sale of the Never Alone beer, proceeds will go to suicide prevention. A QR code is also on the label, which brings customers to the “Choose Song” music video featuring appearances by Kevin Martin (Candlebox), Brendan B. Brown (Wheatus), Vinnie Dombroski (Sponge), Andy and Tim Patalan (Sponge), and Josh Devine (Session Musician/Live Drummer For One Direction). Other mental health information is also available in the link.
Hopworks Urban Brewery hopsworking to save the bees
Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB), the first B Corp brewery in the Pacific Northwest, launched its new Beestly Organic Honey Porter, brewed in collaboration with GloryBee. This new brew utilizes organic clover honey and supports their Save The Bee initiative. Beestly is the third in HUB’s lineup of organic beers available year-round.
GloryBee estimates that one-third of our diet is currently derived from plants that require pollination, and in the US, honeybees are responsible for 80% of agricultural pollination.
Hopworks celebrated the Beestly’s release on April 1, 2021, at their Powell Boulevard brewpub. The first 30 guests who ordered a pint of Beestly Organic Honey Porter received their drink in a keepsake Save The Bee pint glass. Every pint of porter served came with a ramekin of honey roasted peanuts.
Urban South is celebrating five years with 15 amazing collaboration beers
Founded in 2016, Urban South Brewery is celebrating five years of good beer in New Orleans and beyond this April. In honor of its anniversary, the craft brewery is bringing the beer festival directly to fans with fifteen different collaborative beers from breweries around the world that will be released over the span of five weeks. The first anniversary beer was released April 2.
In five years, Urban South Brewery has grown its volume by 800 percent, making it one of the fastest growing breweries in the United States. It has released more than 200 unique beers ranging from heavily fruited sours to double IPAs and packaged more than 4.8 million cans in 2020.
Breweries from around the world participated in the anniversary collaboration beers including Urban South – HTX, Courtyard Brewery, Miel Brewery, Coronado Brewing Company, Tampa Bay Brewing Company, Pontoon Brewing, Listermann Brewing Co., Perfect Plain Brewing, Superstition Meadery, American Solera, Modern Times Beer, Drekker Brewing Company, Verdant Brewing Company, Cruz Blanca and Aslin Beer Company.
Level Cross Brewing
Level Crossing Brewing celebrated its 2nd year anniversary on March 30. To commemorate it, they released the highly anticipated Red Feather Series Space Oddity Hazy DIPA and commemorative glassware. Level Crossing Space Oddity is a Hazy Double India Pale Ale measuring in at 8.8% ABV.
Tasting Notes: Space Oddity is a hop-bursted and double dry-hopped hazy double IPA brewed with space-themed hops (Apollo, Strata, galaxy, Ekaunot, Enigma, Comet) as well as copious amounts of orange blossom honey. Space Oddity has complex aromas of honeysuckle, Pinot Grigio, sweet orange peel and dank cannabis. Solstice flaked oats and red wheat help give the beer a smooth and creamy mouthfeel with flavors of juicy white peach, resinous honey and ripe tangerine. Space Oddity finishes semi-dry with lingering tropical fruit hop bitterness.
Partake expands to take non-alcoholic beer by storm
Partake Brewing, announced its second major expansion plan last week. The North American low-calorie, low-carbohydrate craft non-alcoholic beer launched in the U.S. in December 2020 and is now available in Southern California, Colorado, Connecticut, Eastern Pennsylvania, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, Texas, Virginia, Washington D.C. and nationally online.
Last December, Partake announced its first foray into the U.S. market with distribution in Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington. Today’s announcement also comes on the heels of the brand’s recent $4 million Series A funding round led by CircleUp Growth Partners.
Second variant of AleSmith Brewing’s 2021 Speedway Stout now available
AleSmith Brewing Company is keeping 2021 on-track with the release of their second Speedway Stout variant in the brewery’s quarterly series this year. Stout-seekers will rejoice in this special edition of AleSmith’s signature imperial stout with unparalleled hints of rich chocolate, coconut, dark fruit and creamy sweetness, all interlaced with intoxicating whispers of Mostra Coffee – bestowing local artisanal flair suited to an imperial stout of this caliber.
“The caramel, dark fruit and deep chocolate notes from Mostra’s coffee pair perfectly with Speedway Stout’s profile,” says Peter Cronin, Quality Manager at AleSmith. “The coconut addition really tilts the beer towards decadence, which I don’t mind.”
Speedway Stout Variant #2: Mostra Coffee & Coconut is an expertly honed rendition of AleSmith’s original Speedway Stout, which is widely beloved for its chocolate and roasted malts bolstered by notes of dark fruit, toffee and caramel. Despite its intensity, Speedway Stout’s fine carbonation and creamy mouthfeel make it very smooth and surprisingly easy to drink, yielding the perfect canvas for Head Brewer Ryan Crisp and his team of creatives to produce unique blends and variants that exemplify what makes their imperial stout so popular, while incorporating complexities that rev up the tasting experience.
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