6 times beer made the world a better place

Last week, Brewdog released its second protest beer, this time taking on Donald Trump’s lukewarm attitude to climate change.

But the madcap Scottish brewery isn’t the only one honing hops to change the world for the better.

From protesting against the POTUS to charity festivals, campaigning for good causes and irreverent PR stunts are hallmarks of the booming craft beer industry.

Brewers are increasingly in-tune with the values of their primarily millennial audience.

While beer sales in pubs across the UK have fallen by their highest margin in recent history, the number of breweries in continues to rise.

Increasingly, these small business owners are using their products to raise awareness of social injustice and environmental issues.

Inspired by Brewdog, we’ve taken a look back at the most colourful campaigns to come out of the 21st century so far, from brewing with leftover bread to sending cases of craft ales to the Kremlin.

Keep scrolling to see the good work being done by the craft beer industry across the world.

Brewdog’s subversive saison

Make Earth Great Again (Photo: Brewdog)

Brewdog lived up to its punk credentials last week by launching planet-saving, Trump-slamming saison Make Earth Great Again.

The irreverent Scottish beer giant partnered with 10:10 Climate Action to fire shots at the US government’s decision to quit the Paris Agreement and Trump’s tepid view of climate change research.

The new saison — which is fermented at a higher temperature than other beer styles — contains ingredients sourced from areas most impacted by global warming, including water from the Arctic ice caps, and Arctic cloudberries.

The beer label features a polar bear fighting with a robot version of Donald Trump.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Brewdog has used its status to protest social injustice.

Rallying against Vladimir Putin and Russia’s homosexuality laws, Hello my Name is Vladimir Putin — a limited edition IPA made with Russian limonnik berries and “traces of sarcasm” — was released to coincide with the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Profits from the sale of the Brewdog beer went to international human rights charities combating the oppression of minorities.

From Wasatch Brewery with love

Live and Let Live (Photo: Wasatch)

Brewdog wasn’t the only beer producer to protest Putin. In 2014 the Wasatch Brewery, Utah’s first craft brewery, created Live and Let Live – a blonde pale ale made from “two beautiful malts and two wonderful hops, all fermented with a pair of yeasts.”

At the time of its release, brewery founder Greg Schirf told the drinks business he hoped the message of Live and Let Live will reach Russia, and said he would be sending some of the beer to Sochi.

“Vladimir Putin needs to lay off the vodka and drink about a case of this stuff,” he said.

“Live and Let Live may be hard to swallow for the majority of people in Utah right now, but we think it’s a step forward.”

Toast Ale’s food for thought

Toast Ale (Photo: Toast Ale)

Hackney Brewery and food waste charity Feedback joined forces last year to launch Toast Ale; the first UK-produced beer made from discarded crusts and unsold loaves.

Now an independent brewery in its own right — Toast Ale offers three craft beers based on the humble loaf of bread.

In May 2017 Toast teamed up with the Chelsea Craft Brewing Company in New York to create an American pale ale.

So far, Toast has brewed over 94,000 litres of beer since its launch, saving 8,400kg of surplus bread.

Fighting for feminism

Donald Trump in 2012 (Photo: Wiki)

Not to be outdone by the boys, earlier this year six female brewers from Colorado, Denver, served up a beer inspired Russian protest group and punk band Pussy Riot on the day of President Trump’s inauguration.

Kelissa Hieber from Goldspot Brewing, Bess Douherty from Wynkoop Brewing, Katie Cochrane of Great Divide Brewing Betsy Lay from Lady Justice Brewing Alyssa Hoberer of Dry Dock Brewing and Jess Anderson of 3 Freaks Brewing joined forces to create Makin Noise: A Pussy Riot Beer.

They decided to take on the project following the seemingly endless stream of sexist comments Trump made throughout his presidential campaign, but the name also touches on the POTUS’ alleged dealings with Russia in the run up to the election.

The imperial saison — aged on strawberry purée intentionally to play on the stereotype of women only liking fruity beer — was served on tap at every brewery involved on inauguration day.

Speaking at the time of its release, Douherty said the beer “will look delicate, but it’ll knock you on your ass.”

Hieber added: “We are standing up for each other, that’s what this is about. We need to.”

Fullers’ seafarer’s salvation

Seafarers Ale (Photo: Fullers)

Charitable causes aren’t just for the independent brewers, as Fullers’ Seafarers Ale has proved over the years.

Fuller’s acquired the Gales-branded Seafarers Ale in 2005. Since then, a donation has been made to leading maritime charity Seafarers UK for every pint sold.

Over 12 years of brewing the English bitter, Seafarers Ale has raised more than £200,000 for the charity, which delivers grants to organisations actively involved in supporting and improving the lives of seamen and their loved ones.

Craft Beer Cares’ feel-good festival

Fun times for a good cause @CraftBeerCares ! V happy to support fellow #CraftBeer folks supporting great charities inc @MindCharity pic.twitter.com/U5XuV0yhY8

— Boozers w/o Borders (@BoozyBorders) July 2, 2017

Alcohol and mental health have a patchy relationship, but a new craft beer festival which hit London this year looks set to change this.

Craft Beer Cares — which was held in East London’s  Brew Club last July — featured drinks from local independent drinks makers including Elusive Brewing, Siren Craft Brew, Cloudwater, Beavertown, Northern Monk and Gipsy Hill, with all profits going to he Newman Holiday Trust and Mind, The Mental Health Charity.

The festival was a who’s who of London’s craft scene, with Kernel, Five Points Brewing Co, One Mile End and Hackney Brewery all making donations, and also saw contributions from breweries further afield such as Michigan beer-maker Founders and New Zealand’s Yeastie Boys.

Speaking to Brewers Journal, earlier this year, founder Gautam Bhatnagar said he was inspired by similar movements like #CookForSyria, which use food and drinks to raise funds for a good cause.

“It’s been a really heart-warming experience seeing the many people involved in the craft beer community and their willingness to donate time, advice, energy, and – of course – the beer!”