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.

Brewing Benevolence: Karl Strauss (San Diego, CA)

Brewing Benevolence is a series of articles and interviews with breweries that are committed to more than just brewing beer in their communities. My first interview in this series is with Karl Strauss Brewing Company. They recently started ‘The Karl Fund,’ a scholarship designed to promote brewing education.  I talked with Ryan, the Community Marketing Manager about the Karl Fund and the other ways Karl Strauss is supporting its community.

The  Karl Fund is a relatively recent development and you’re in the process of growing this fund, correct? How are you fundraising for the initial money that will support the Karl Fund for years to come?

We are in the process of growing the Karl M Strauss Brewers Education Fund.  We have been fundraising primarily through two avenues: 1. part of the money we raise from Karlfest, a Southern California version of Oktoberfest, is donated to the Brewers Education Fund; and 2. in 2008, we brewed our first Imperial Amber Lager in tribute to Karl.  Part of the proceeds from the sales of that beer in October, Karl’s birth month, are donated to the fund.

What was the inspiration behind the Karl Fund and who are the target scholarship applicants?

We set up the Karl M. Strauss Brewers Education Fund to honor Karl and the teaching, guidance, and support he gave to the many brewers and breweries he came into contact with throughout his life. The Fund is to provide financial educational support to aspiring brewers pursuing a career in the field of brewing.  We have been talking with the good folks running the brewing programs at UC Davis about how to best maximize our funds to those means.  It looks like it is going to go toward providing a brewer with a class scholarship as well as an internship program each year.

Karl Strauss has two big charity events – Beach to Brewery and KarlFest. What was the inspiration behind each of these and how have they helped grow awareness of the Karl Strauss brand?

Our main brewery in Pacific Beach is not open to the public.  Beach to Brewery is held the second Saturday in May and is a great way for us to expose people to our brewery, give tours, scores of good beers, listen to local music, and have a great time.  In addition to partnering with Surfrider, we also partner with the San Diego Bike Club and support a bike ride from the beach to the brewery.  All around it is an opportunity for locals to enjoy sun, music, friends, and great beer, all for a good cause.

Karlfest sort of grew out of Beach to Brewery.  With October being Karl’s birth month and with us brewing an authentic Oktoberfest beer, it just seemed right to borrow a page from the Beach to Brewery book and create a second celebratory event in the Fall.  Due to the success of our partnership with Surfrider in San Diego, we quickly fell into step with the Orange County Chapter.  We invite all Orange County and LA breweries to join us at Karlfest the first Saturday in October.  It is another fine day of great beer, local music, and tasty grub, all for a good cause.

Karl Strauss a big supporter of The Surfrider Foundation. Can you give some background info on how you got involved in this organization and how Karl Strauss is supporting the foundation?

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches.  As a brewery located in Pacific Beach with employees and customers throughout Southern California, our coast is really important to us.  When we were pulling together plans for the first Beach to Brewery, the Surfrider Foundation was the cause we wanted to support.  We have cleaned beaches, brought awareness to the Surfrider Foundation, and have raised over $65,000 for them over the last six years.

How has Karl Strauss chosen which organizations to support?

Beyond our hosted events such as Beach to Brewery, we also donate beer to hundreds of organizations and causes throughout Southern California.  As a company, we focus on causes related to the environment, independent art and music, and active, healthy lifestyles.  We also support our industry, teaming up with other breweries to educate and sample people on good beer at assorted beer festivals, which are often being held to support other assorted causes.

Has Karl Strauss recognized any benefits from supporting these organizations?

It definitely contributes to company morale.  People want to feel a part of something bigger, something beyond just making money and our events and donations certainly help to reinforce that for our employees.  Of course we love to hear about an avid new customer that first tried us at one of these events or an account that is appreciative we have giving back in common.  However, we do it because it’s who we are; being part of the fabric of our community and giving back has always been a part of our company’s DNA.

Why is it important for Karl Strauss to support its community?

We have five core values here at Karl Strauss and one of them is to care for each other, our community, and our environment.  It’s just part of who we are.