Craft beer is all about community.
From the immediacy of a brewery’s tasting room and its regular patrons to the city and people that surround it, many BC craft breweries have close ties to their local communities.
Join us to take a look at a few of the breweries around the province who are putting their community at the forefront of their beer line-up with recent brews and events crafted to support local organizations.
Lynn’s Lite Lager • Container Brewing, Vancouver
Container Brewing has teamed up with Canadian actor Tyler Johnston (best known for his role on Letterkenny) to create Lynn’s Lite Lager in honour of Johnston’s mother, Lynn. The brew aims to raise awareness for the need for blood and platelet donations for leukaemia patients.
“[Lynn] was diagnosed with leukaemia in June 2023. Since then, Lynn has relied on blood and platelet transfusions to improve her quality of life. It can take up to eight donors a week to help one patient. Every 60 seconds, someone in Canada needs blood,” says the Container Brewing website.
Together, Container and the Johnston family are urging British Columbians to Join Team Lynn at Canadian Blood Services and register to donate today.
On June 16th, Container will be hosting a launch and fundraiser party: 10% of all beer sales that day plus $1 from every can of Lynn’s Lite Lager sold will be donated to Lynn’s charity of choice.
Read more about the brew and the launch event.
Shot of Gold 2.0 • A collab between Kamloops’ breweries
This fundraiser beer was inspired by 2020 Paralympic champion, Greg Stewart. Folks from five Kamloops breweries — Alchemy Brewing, Bright Eye Brewing, Iron Road Brewing, Noble Pig Brewhouse, and Red Collar Brewing — got together recently to brew up four batches of this Kolsch. The first run of Shot of Gold came out in 2022, just after Stewart’s gold-medal win in the Tokyo Paralympic Games.
“According to CANFund, 3-in-5 athletes are in debt and have a negative net income while training to compete in events like the Olympics and Paralympics. With expenses on the rise, the need for support has only grown,” says an article from CFJC Today about the collab brew. Stewart estimates that to ensure optimal nutrition while training, his food bills alone were adding up to over $1000 per month while preparing for the Games.
Shot of Gold 2.0 will be released in June with a launch party and silent auction event. Proceeds will be going to CANFund and to help support Stewart’s training for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Rise Up • Dageraad Brewing, Burnaby
This dry-hopped lager is a collab brew with Batch, a Vancouver eatery that Dageraad says “has quickly cemented itself as a community hub both in the neighbourhood and in Vancouver’s local music scene.” So much so that the pair have decided to donate proceeds from the sale of the beer to the Saint James Music Academy.
From the Rise Up page on Dageraad’s website, we know that “The Saint James Music Academy (SJMA) is an independent non-profit organization providing free classical music education to children in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside in a safe after-school setting. The SJMA began in 2007 and since that time has provided free music education to hundreds of young people who otherwise would not have access to music. In addition to offering Choir and Orchestra classes, SJMA also provides nutrition, transportation, music therapy, scholarships, and amazing performance opportunities. SJMA is the product of many individuals, families, and businesses who share their belief in the power of music to change lives.”
4-packs of Rise Up are available at the brewery and through their online store while supplies last.
Centennial Lager • Ace Brewing Company, Courtenay
April 2024 marked 100 years of service for the Royal Canadian Air Force. To celebrate this milestone, aviation-themed Ace Brewing has partnered with the Royal Canadian Air Force Association to create the Centennial Lager, so named to commemorate the occasion as well as in recognition of the hops used in the brew.
“Ace Brewing Company is very honoured to have the opportunity to be in partnership with the Royal Canadian Air Force Association, the only brewery in B.C. to do so,” says Jo-Anne Landolt of the brewery.
Centennial Lager was launched on April 1 at the brewery, and can also be found in the brewery’s online store along with a line of RCAF Centennial merchandise. Proceeds of all Centennial sales are going to the RCAF Centennial Fund.
S&O Beer Run • Steel & Oak Brewing, New Westminster
Steel & Oak Brewing took their fundraising beyond the can for the second annual S&O Beer Run on May 11, 2024.
Starting in Queens Park in New Westminster, the 5km run took participants along local roads and trails, before bringing runners and walkers back to the park to collect their finishers’ medals and grab bags full of goodies from local businesses. The Run raises funds for KidSport New West, which provides grants to cover registration fees so that all kids 18 and under can play a season of their chosen sport.
“Last year’s event was so successful and fulfilling for many reasons. Above all, it embodied the spirit of the city with the local community uniting to create special memories, celebrate one another, and support a valuable local charity,” said Jordan Brett of Steel & Oak in an article from the New Westminster Record ahead of this year’s event. “S&O is grateful to host an event in such a vibrant community, and we can’t wait to share another joyous day with everyone.”
