Hops Not Hate

Expanding on our post from last Friday, we would like to share more about the Hops Not Hate project.

Our Danish friend and Shaun’s former Nørrebro Bryghus colleague, Søren Parker Wagner, found himself deeply moved by the Syrian refugee crisis, and so assembled a group of bars and breweries for a few charitable events. Following those initial efforts, momentum grew for something greater and sustainable, from which sprung Hops Not Hate, a conceptual model for matching charity and business principles within the framework of beer.

Leveraging the generosity and goodwill of the beer community, Hops Not Hate provides a universal design that is uncomplicated and transparent: connect the good intentions and the people to facilitate a message of charity and kindness. It is a true “pay it forward” model, with each step of the process contributing to worthwhile charities. The concept: envision and craft a beer whereby each participant in the supply chain (brewer, distributor, bar, bottle shop) commits to donate at least 50% of their net profits to two charities—one global and one local.

For our entry, we brewed with Søren Leaves of Grass: Hops Not Hate, a Farmstead® ale incorporating pale malt, malted wheat, and organic corn, and Hallertau Blanc, Wai-iti, and Amarillo® hops. That beer was then aged in wine barrels for nearly six months, then conditioned for over two years in the bottle.

100% of the money from the sale of this beer will benefit Child Haven International (Kathmandu, Nepal) and Craftsbury Saplings (Craftsbury, Vt). More about each one of these worthy charities will be shared in the days to come, but please do seek out their organizations and contribute as you’re able, especially if you won’t be able to visit and purchase one of the bottles.