Sales of this beer will help fund a scholarship at Washington State University

I’m one of those ungrateful alumni who instantly chucks all mail about donating to my alma maters in the trash (sorry Kent State, and Walsh University). But in my defense, instead of hosting lame old white guy dinner parties to woo my donation, they could do something cool, like producing a beer for me to buy, like my new favorite institution of higher learning Washington State University.

Sales of a limited edition beer from Ten Pin Brewing of Moses Lake (Graduate Golden Ale) will help fund scholarships for students studying Wine and Beverage Business Management at WSU’s Carson College of Business. One dollar from each pint purchased will support scholarships.

“You can enjoy a craft beer and support WSU students,” said Byron Marlowe, clinical assistant professor and Wine and Beverage Business Management coordinator in the college’s School of Hospitality Business Management. “We hope to catch some buzz with sales to WSU graduates. But regardless of your alma mater, this is a tangible way to support Washington State University and higher education.”

Besides the release parties, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each keg or half keg of the ale will be donated to the scholarships. About 200 kegs of Graduate Golden Ale will be produced, said Tony Poston, founder and president of College Hill, whose donations are providing the brand management and promotional support for the ale’s release. Support for Graduate Golden Ale also comes from Yakima Chief Hops, which provided the hops for the ale at a discounted price.

“We had had a lot of fun working directly with Ten Pin. They are incredible brewers and great partners,” said Blaze Ruud, director of key accounts and brewing innovation at Yakima Chief Hops. “We can’t wait for the beer to get into the market.”

This is the second year that beer sales will help fund scholarships. Last year, College Hill worked with Old School House Brewery in Winthrop to release another limited edition beer, Scholar Pale Ale. Each year, College Hill plans to work with a different brewery to release a beer supporting WSU scholarships, Poston said.

All launch parties for Graduate Golden Ale are open to the public. People who can’t attend a launch party, but want to support the scholarships, can donate directly online through the WSU Foundation. Graduate Golden Ale will debut Aug. 22 at release parties around the state.

Launch party locations

• Seattle: 5–9 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 22, Flatstick Pub SLU, 609 Westlake Ave N.
• Spokane: 6–8 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 27, Nectar Wine & Beer at Kendall Yards, 1331 W. Summit Parkway
• Pullman: 5 to close, Thursday, Aug. 29, The Coug, 900 NE Colorado St.
• Spokane: 7–9 p.m., Friday, Aug. 30, River Rock Taphouse, 26 W. Sprague Ave., Ste. 101
• Moses Lake: 7–10 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 31, Ten Pin Brewing, 1149 N. Stratford Road
• Spokane: 3–6 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 8, Press, 909 S. Grand Blvd.