Brewing Benevolence: Stone Brewing (Escondido, California)

Brewing Benevolence is a series of articles and interviews with breweries that are committed to more than just brewing beer in their communities. In this edition, I talked to Chris with Stone Brewing in Escondido, California. Read on to learn more about Stone’s Anniversary Celebration and why you might see some of their employees with green hair (all for a good cause, of course.)

Stone’s most notable charity event is the annual anniversary celebration. What is the mission of this event and how has it changed over the years?

The “mission” started to celebrate our anniversary and do so with our fans…as an “open house” so to speak. It just evolved from there to one of the largest single day beer festivals on the West Coast. Being that a brewery can’t pull an ABC license for an event of that nature, we partnered with the Surfrider Foundation from the beginning and have added additional charities since.

Stone also has a history of hair-dying events for charity. Can you provide a little background on this event, including the inspiration for it?

Ever dye your hair? Ever participate in a “walk-a-thon”? Well, the concept was part of both – our CEO, Greg Koch, wanted to incorporate something fun into the Anniversary Celebration, wanted to raise more money for charity, and wanted to dye his hair green. So participants get pledges to dye their hair a color of our choice for at least one week, and the event coincides with our Anniversary every other year.

Other than the ways we discussed, what other ways has Stone become involved with local charities or community initiatives?

That would take WAY too long to explain. Let’s just say that we support nearly 100 different groups annually.

What are Stone’s favorite charities to support and why?

Depends…we don’t discriminate in that regard. If someone sends us a request, it’s legal and legit, fits with our ethos, we’re going to support them!

How has Stone chosen which organizations to support? What attributes do you look for in a charitable organization?

See above…but they MUST be a 501c3 or 501c6 registered non-profit organization for Stone (or any brewery in CA) to legally donate beer for their events. And also have to comply with the normal ABC laws as well.

Does Stone prefer to support only local, community based charities or have you supported larger, national charities as well?

We have indeed supported both, but with the “national” organizations it is often a request from their local or regional chapter. (American Cancer Society, etc…)

Has Stone recognized any benefits from supporting these organizations (other than a warm, fuzzy feeling)? Specifically, have there been any recognized or measurable benefits to Stone’s bottom lines?

Absolutely…100 percent. When you get involved with people from charities and non-profits the first thing you realize is how passionate they are about their cause. They in turn become passionate about the people or companies that support them, especially if you (we, Stone) can support them on a regular or annual basis.

Stone is looking into opening a brewery in Europe. Has Stone been engaging communities abroad and if so, how?

Yes, we are looking into that and the process of a Request For Proposal (RFP) is being drafted by us. Once that is ready we’ll send it out to the interested European Communities and see what their response is, and go from there. Currently the “word is out” that we’re interested and we have heard from a few countries already.

Why is it important for Stone to support its community

To me that seems like a silly question – why would we not? I often tell people that we certainly would not be where we’re at without the support of the community, and it only makes sense to give back. I also tell people that a business can merely reside in a community, or can actually be a part of the community, and we would much prefer to be a part of it!

Thanks again to Chris and the rest of the crew at Stone.

Brewing Benevolence: Anderson Valley Brewing Company (Boonville, CA)

Brewing Benevolence is a series of articles and interviews with breweries that are committed to more than just brewing beer in their communities. In this edition, I talked with John, the General Manager of Anderson Valley Brewing Co. (AVBC) in Boonville, CA.  AVBC has founded their own charitable organization (Bahl Hornin’) and throws one of the best brewery parties on the west coast. Read on to learn more about both.

You founded your own charitable organization – Bahl Hornin’. First of all, what was the inspiration behind the name ‘Bahl Hornin’ and what does it mean?

Bahl Hornin’ is the Boontling for “Good Drinking.” Before the brewery, Boonville’s claim to fame was a local language that started in the hop fields.

Why did AVBC decide to start this organization and how are the values of AVBC reflected in the work that Bahl Hornin’ does?

The organization formally incorporated in 2006, but the Legendary Boonville Beer Festival was started 14 years ago as a fundraiser for local community organizations. Craft brewing is very community oriented and the people involved are more about the lifestyle than the money.  AVBC is a country brewery and we who work here are about the great lifestyle we get to enjoy – none of this would be possible without our local community.

The Legendary Boonville Beer Festival is your largest charity event. What all does the event entail and how has the community repsonded to the event?

The Legendary Boonville Beer Festival is almost an entrely volunteer generated event.  The organizations who recieve funds all put together teams to handle all the logistics and duties to put on a 6,000+ event with over 80 breweries.  The brewing community rallies by  making the trek to donate their time and beer to make one heck of a good time.  The greater community is very supportive in allowing over 6,000 people to take over the town.

How has the event grown over the years?

The event started on the brewery grounds and quickly had to move to the fairgrounds a mile down the road.  In the past five years the space for required for breweries has doubled.

How does your brewery balance planning the event with all of the day-to-day tasks associated with operating a brewery?

The fact that the community has come together for the past 14 years to make this happen makes it easy. Everyone knows what to do and it takes little effort from brewery staff to coordinate. All brewery staff donate their time to make the event happen.  It also helps to start early so our first meetings are occurring now.

Which charitable organizations has AVBC supported either through monetary or product donations?

AVBC, through the Bahl Hornin’ Foundation had given over $375K ($65K last year alone) to local organizations:

Anderson Valley Lions Club

AV Parent/Teacher Org

AV Elderhome

AV  Education Foundation

AV Sports Boosters

AV Animal Rescue

Mendocino County Fairgrounds

AV Senior Center

AV Historical Society

AV Fire Dept

AV Volunteer Fires Assoc

AV Ambulance

Mendocino County Sheriff’s Dept K-9 Unit

Kimmies of Codgy Mosh

Acorn School

Navarro River Resource Center

California Small Brewer’s Assoc

Has AVBC recognized any benefits from supporting these charities?

AVBC gets credited for throwing one of the best camp-out parties on the west coast.  Plenty of press and other accolades give us exposure and we foster greater community amongst craft brewers, as we try and make sure that they have a good time.

How has AVBC chosen which organizations to support?

The Bahl Hornin’ Foundation’s purpose is to provide charitable distributions to organizations in and around Anderson Valley, CA, that provide educational, cultural and community benefit, and to perform educational grant making activity to students of the Anderson Valley Unified School District. If they fit that definition and help out with the festival they receive support.

Why is it important for AVBC to support charitable organizations?

Anderson Valley is a small community which provides for and nurtures the employee and their families. The organizations that we support help to create the great life we get to lead here in our community. AVBC has had great success over the past two decades and it is important to help those who may need it most.

Thanks again to John from Anderson Valley. Make sure you check out their website here.

Brewing Benevolence: Lost Coast Brewery (Humboldt County, CA)

Brewing Benevolence is a series of articles and interviews with breweries that are committed to more than just brewing beer in their communities. In this edition, I talked with Briar, the GM of Lost Coast Brewing. Briar told me all about how Lost Coast is supporting their Northern California coastal community through their festivals and through the donation of not just their product, but of their time as well.

Does Lost Coast have any recurring annual events and festivals that either support the community or charity? If so, what are they and what was their initial inspiration?

We have two recurring/annual events: Oysters & Ale and The Oyster Festival (non related). With Oysters & Ale – held in Eureka on the Humboldt Bay’s waterfront a non-profit recipient is selected in advance of the event to receive proceeds from this yearly fall event. Inspiration stems from this region being somewhat famous for its Oyster Farming on the bay (Humboldt Bay) and the brewery being located on the bay’s shores.

With The Oyster Festival – held in Arcata and managed and hosted by the Arcata Merchants Association – only two local breweries donate beer or sell large quantities at reduced costs to generate proceeds to support the Arcata Plaza District. This district has historic value to the community stemming back to this area’s roots over 160 years ago. Again this event is near the bay’s shores and reflects our rich heritage to the oyster farming business as well as our two largest breweries. Lost Coast Brewery donates generously to support under-writing costs with the event. This event is in the spring.

Which charitable organizations has Lost Coast supported either through monetary or product donations?

This list is far to large to expose in such a small venue. However Lost Coast Brewery supports any and all non-profit event in CA and OR particularly in its core community of the North Coast. We have no other motive than to be fair and unbiased in supporting all/any non-profit that should request our support.

Has Lost Coast recognized any benefits from supporting these charities (other than a warm, fuzzy feeling)?

The benefits in supporting charities and non-profits are always mixed with positive marketing effects such as developing brand recognition and “true sense of community support”. Short answer is that branding and product recognition is enhanced and a venue created for brewery personnel (including myself) to engage with the community and potential product supporters.

How has Lost Coast chosen which organizations to support?

As stated earlier: We are unbiased in which charitable organizations that we support. However we do have great conscientiousness in supporting local organizations mainly due to proximity, recognition factor and overall commitment to the locals who aided us during our start-up years.

Why is it important for Lost Coast to support charitable organizations?

Both the founder/President – Barbara Groom – and I share a deep respect for this community and its various organizations and are willing to donate more than just beer: but of ourselves (time). From the initial days centuries ago breweries have the roots deep in local communities as it is those communities that they are born-in that they must aid and support if they are to exist. Breweries for centuries through German and English tradition been supporting their local communities and acting as “responsible citizens”. Barbara Groom and myself would not want that tradition to be lost with this brewery and have made it a mission to embrace this charitable responsibility above and beyond any norm.

What specific ways is Lost Coast engaging its local community?

Lost Coast Brewery has multiple facets within the community. We all live here and actively engage in all community affairs from local government to the smallest charitable organization. Barbara Groom sits on numerous boards and puts lots of her time in aiding her boards’ objectives. I too am involved in a few charitable organizations and give my time accordingly. We find it as an outlet of personal expression and general sense of accomplishment.

Thanks again to Briar and the entire crew at Lost Coast Brewery. For more information, check out their website here.

Brewing Benevolence: Firestone Walker (Paso Robles, California)

Brewing Benevolence is a series of articles and interviews with breweries that are committed to more than just brewing beer in their communities. In this edition, I talked with Jamie, the Marketing Director of Firestone Walker Brewing Co. in Paso Robles, CA.  Read on to learn how Firestone Walker is helping its community through education and donations.

What specific ways is Firestone Walker engaging its local community?

Firestone participates in over 100 non-profit related events just in California alone each year.  We typically donate beer, staff time and resources to educating people about beer while helping a worthy cause.  Additionally, we host multiple beer dinners throughout our state to showcase beers ability to pair well with foods. About 60% of those events happen within 150 miles of the brewery.

Firestone Walker hosts beer sensory classes. What was the inspiration behind this event and how has it helped Firestone Walker interact with the community?

This is something new that we introduced this year in an effort to educate our community about beer.  Specifically, we wanted to enhance the public’s beer drinking experience by teaching them to pick up the subtleties in beer, from aromas to flavors and mouth feel.  The focus of this event isn’t just our beers or beer in general, but rather how to better enjoy what you drink.  So the public walks away feeling like they’ve gained something and done so at Firestone Walker Brewery, making us more than just a place making local beer.

Does Firestone Walker host or participate in any major events that benefit community organizations or charities?

We participate in many events like this.  Locally, we team up with Hospice of San Luis Obispo County each year to put on an Oaktoberfest.  The event features some phenomenal beers, fun and great German food with all profits benefitting Hospice.  In past years we have raised over $50k for Hospice.

Has Firestone Walker recognized any benefits from supporting organizations such as Hospice of San Luis Obsipo?

This is difficult to measure exactly, but we do feel it provides us with support when the consumer is in a store.  It really is necessary as we are a part of the community.

How has Firestone Walker chosen which organizations to support?

I wish I could say that we spent a lot of time looking at this, but the reality is that we often participate where we feel there is an opportunity for a bit of mutual benefit.  Focusing on beer, food and wine events makes sense for us and supports the non-profit putting the event on.

Why is it important for Firestone Walker to support charitable organizations?

Being a small company, our promotional and ad budget is limited.  The best thing we can do for ourselves is to help others.  It has multiple and long lasting benefits and is much of the reason we have been so successful in our home market over the past 14 years.

 Thanks again to Jaime and everyone else at Firestone Walker. Make sure you visit their website here.

A Hidden Brewpub

I recently returned from a short trip to San Diego and while I was there I had the pleasure of stopping by the Karl Strauss restaurant in Sorrento Mesa. As I was pulling up to the address the GPS directed me to, I looked out and only saw office buildings and a parking lot. It looked more like a corporate campus than the strip malls, high traffic intersections, or commercial districts that brewpubs are generally found at. I decided to pull into the parking lot and check it out. Low and behold, beneath a small, inconspicuous wooden archway was a Karl Strauss sign (take a look around and then zoom in to see if you can find the entrance to the restaurant).

I parked and walked underneath the arch on a dark pathway to a bustling restaurant. The place was packed on a weekday evening with a 30 minute wait for a table – all without bold neon signs or exposure frontage on a major street. How did all of these people find this place? The answer was simple:

They were seeking it out.

For this location, Karl Strauss doesn’t depend on people wandering by to find it. Instead, they rely on people who know about the restaurant and want to check it out – people who looked up the address in their GPS, people who heard about it from their friends and family, people who knew where they were going for dinner/drinks before they set foot out of the house. This strategy wouldn’t work well for a new Chili’s or an upstart restaurant with no name familiarity, but for a legendary brewery with name recognition in San Diego, it’s perfect.

When I discovered the energetic brewpub amidst the rather pedestrian office park, it felt a little like discovering a hidden gem. Consumers (and especially craft beer drinkers) like to feel smart or in-the-know; that they are privy to some sort of information that the masses don’t yet know about. When you hear about a ‘hidden’ restaurant from a friend as opposed to from a large neon sign, you probably have greater interest in trying it. Similarly, when you hear about a new beer that isn’t well known, you want to seek it out and try it – exactly because it is not the Budweiser, Miller, or Coors your friends and neighbors are drinking.

Stone World Bistro and Gardens, another San Diego county institution, is also using this strategy (take a look at their building from the outside and what’s inside here). Again, they’re located on an inconspicuous road and don’t have any major signage indicating what’s inside. Because of their clientele, they don’t need to. As a brewery (or any company, for that matter) this is an envious position to be in. Less time and money spent on advertising and positive word of mouth marketing are two of the benefits of this. Anytime your customers are seeking you out, you win.

What other ‘hidden’ gems do you know of? How does it change your perception of a brewery/bar/restaurant? Are you more or less likely to go to places like this?

Brewery of the Month: Uncommon Brewers (Santa Cruz, CA)

Uncommon Brewers is based out of Santa Cruz; a city known for it’s progressive activism, social tolerance, and environmental awareness. These elements, plus its reputation as a surf mecca and college town have combined to impart a unique flavor on the city. Since Uncommon Brewers got their start in 2007, they have been creating some of the most innovative and uniquely flavored (and entirely organic) beers, indicative of the community they were conceived in. And with a name like Uncommon Brewers, would you expect anything less? They haven’t been around for long, but they are certainly making their mark on craft brewing. I caught up with Alec Stefansky, co-founder of Uncommon Brewers. The topics of discussion ranged from unique brewing styles to community involvement and the slow food movement.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Slow Food movement, it’s defined on its website as ‘a non-profit, eco-gastronomic member supported organization to counteract fast food and fast life, the disappearance of local food traditions, and people’s dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, how it tastes, and how our food choices affect the rest of the world.’ Alec works with the local slow food chapter and his stated goal is “to source as many of our ingredients as possible from local farms.” In doing so, Uncommon Brewers not only supports local farmers but they’re also getting their ingredients in the freshest and healthiest condition possible.

Uncommon is also one of the only organic breweries in the country. There are many organic beers out there, but according to Alec, what makes Uncommon unique is that every one of their beers is made solely from organic ingredients. “We are an entirely organic brewery, even down to the hops. There are many organic breweries that are not using organic hops because they’re not required to…as part of the process. Right now, just because beer says organic on it, it doesn’t necessarily mean all those ingredients are organic.”

Creating an all-organic beer line isn’t just beneficial from an environmental standpoint – it also makes sense given the market that Uncommon was founded in. According to Alec, “Santa Cruz county is one of these nexuses in the country and in the world where organic farming is really a way of life. We’re surrounded by internationally distributed organic farms that got their start in Santa Cruz.” People in and around Santa Cruz are acutely aware of organic products, and this is often a huge selling point for consumer products in the area. “From the business side of it… especially in those first sales meetings, it made it so I could go into a place and say ‘well you’ve never heard of us before, but I’ve got this great beer and by the way it’s organic.’ It was one more feather in the hat when we were first getting going. Now it’s an advantage against some of the other similar beers in the marketplace because people do care.”

As of now, Uncommon has four primary beers. Their flagship, Siamese Twin (a Thai spiced beer including lemongrass, kaffir lime, and coriander), Golden State Ale (a Golden Ale that features toasted poppy seeds), Baltic Porter (made with a blend of whole licorice root and star anise) and Rubidus Red. At the Great American Beer Festival I had a chance to try the Rubidus Red, and it’s one of the most interesting beers I’ve ever had. It’s brewed with candy cap mushrooms which impart a sweet, maple syrup like flavor to the beer, and I promise you, it’s unlike anything you’ve tried. Continuing in their tradition of bold-flavored beers, the newest beer coming out of Uncommon involves pork. Yes, you read that correctly, P-O-R-K. “We actually brewed the first commercial batch of our bacon brown ale. It’s a nut brown brewed with bacon”. May bacon lovers rejoice.

By creating innovative flavors and brewing entirely organic beer in a manner befitting of the slow food movement, Uncommon Brewers have created a product that translates well to their market in Santa Cruz and the greater Bay Area. Currently, you can only find their beer in select California markets, so if you live in or are visiting California, definitely pick some up. Uncommon Brewers was built on a heritage of commitment to quality, organic ingredients, and bold flavors. If they can stay true to this heritage as they grow, I could see this becoming a very successful brewery in time.