Released today, "Clean Water For Beer India Pale Ale" hopes to inspire preservation of our natural Washington waterways.

If you’ve ever taken a brewery tour or spoken to a brewer, you’ve probably heard the following key ingredients used in beer - water, malt, hops, & yeast. While the use and the quantities of each vary based on the beer, the one that is vital to making that brilliant beverage in your hand is … water! After all, it nourishes the grains and hops, grown in the valleys and plains throughout the world. And it is the one ingredient that is mostly present in your beer. But lately, especially in the Pacific Northwest, water is something that is in short supply during this Summer. 

Which is why it’s important to support those who are trying to preserve the water in your beer, the water in your hops, your grains, and the waterways in the region. But you’re not alone in this endeavor. Just ask Washington Wild, an organization started in 1979 to preserve the natural waterways and nourished lands adjacent. 

image courtesy Washington Wild

Nearly 50 years old, Washington Wild has saved “... nearly three million acres of Wilderness throughout Washington State”. That’s not an exaggeration, that’s in their bio. Also, this registered charity (aka 501(c)(3)) has teamed up with businesses, like breweries, to educate consumers at events co-sponsored by Washington Wild. Chances are, you’ve been to one of their pop-up beer events, or enjoyed one of the many brewery collaborations with their Washington Wild logo on the label. But if this is the first time you’ve heard of a beer made with the help of Washington Wild, then you probably don’t want to miss what’s being released today. 

Starting today and available in Western Washington and the Inland Empire of Spokane County, Washington Wild and over 75 breweries and related businesses, are pleased to release “Clean Water For Beer” India Pale Ale. 

Brewed at Here Today Brewery & Kitchen, located just minutes from Seattle’s waterfront and Lumberbeard Brewing in Spokane, “Clean Water For Beer” is a dual release, made collectively by some 50 breweries as part of the Brewshed® Connection cooperative. But it’s not just breweries that care about clean water. Just ask Bottleworks, in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood.

Recalling the genesis of these beers, the General Manager of Bottleworks, Brandon Wiley, recalls all the phone calls, emails, and face-to-face conversations he had with over 75 businesses, 50 of which were breweries, that contributed to this beer. What was clear from the start was to “Go bigger than last year!”, Brandon recalls with a smile. 

To achieve this herculean effort of wrangling so many breweries and businesses, Brandon also got help from Bret Gordon at Spokane’s Lumberbeard Brewing.

Stylistically speaking, host breweries Here Today and Lumberbeard, with so many businesses, settled on the Hazy India Pale Ale. Brewed in Spokane and Seattle, each brewery was asked to use their house yeast. The rest of the ingredients used to make these two beers were identical, allowing the yeast to showcase how something so small (as yeast) stands out.   

Recalling the “brew day” at Here Today Brewery & Kitchen, Brandon and fellow (Bottleworks) employee, Chanell, recall how outstanding it was to see so many smiling faces all to benefit clean waters. Seeing the faces of so many businesses and breweries, not seen in a while, was refreshing. Putting it profoundly, Chanell shared, “It felt like a family reunion”. 

It also helped that host brewery, Here Today, a newly minted brewery that opened during the global pandemic, acted as industry cheerleader as it related to brewery responsibility. But let’s not forget about the unique labels. 

Designed by, Meghan Griffin, a graphic artist from Madison, Wisconsin. One could easily be sucked into the watercolor-like artwork that might inspire thoughts of nature hikes near Mount Rainier. To learn more about Meghan Griffin, please visit her website or social media starting here, https://meghangriffin.com/. 

image courtesy Bottleworks

With a planned release event being held at Here Today Brewery & Kitchen, August 10th, from 5 pm to 8 pm, at 2815 Elliott Ave Suite 101, Seattle, Washington; you’re encouraged to stop by and learn more about this unique release. Or if you prefer, reach out to the business found on this label, to learn where you can try this beer made with four ingredients. But one, that is truly special, water, preserved by Washington Wild, and served in every pint and can of beer made or sold by the breweries and businesses in Washington.