Editor's note: This story is continually being updated with more release dates.
When a natural disaster strikes, the craft beer community is quick to respond.
For example, when Hurricane Harvey ravaged the Texas Gulf Coast last year, Oskar Blues Brewery's Can'd Aid Foundation donated 220,000 cans of water to residents in the area, while Granbury's Revolver Brewing Co. donated nearly $63,000 from sales of a limited-released beer to relief efforts. And that's just to name a few that contributed.
So when Northern California's Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. asked its beer brethren to brew a special beer and donate 100 percent of the proceeds to the benefit the nearby Camp Fire relief effort, it expected some would step up. What founder Ken Grossman didn't expect was to start a nationwide movement.
More than 1,400 breweries, including a few from overseas, have agreed to brew Resilience Butte County Proud IPA and contribute to Sierra Nevada's fundraiser. At the latest count, 54 breweries from Texas have signed on with plans to release the India pale ale on draft (details below). Sierra Nevada is distributing the beer in cans nationwide in late December.
Robin Gregory, spokeswoman for Sierra Nevada, said the brewery staff is overwhelmed by the support they've received.
The Camp Fire has burned 153,336 acres and killed 86 people, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Paradise, Calif., which is a mere 13 miles from the flagship brewery in Chico, was the hardest hit. Sierra Nevada voluntarily evacuated and closed for several days.
Though the brewery went unscathed, many employees' homes did not.
"When we reopened, we had about 60 employees who lost their homes," Gregory says. "It was a pretty personal event for our community."
Collective Brewing Project in Fort Worth is one of more than a dozen North Texas breweries that answered Grossman's call. For co-founder Ryan Deyo, who is also a Fort Worth firefighter, joining the effort was "a no-brainer."
"When your house burns down, you lose everything. You have very little time to get out and protect your loved ones, so most people that are being affected by this thing probably lost most of their entire lives," he says. "The firefighters themselves, we're all used to spending time away from our families, but these guys that are fighting these huge wild fires are spending weeks away from their families, and it's hard on the families, too."
Corey Dickinson, director of marketing at Community Beer Co. in Dallas, echoed that sentiment. Community is in the process of brewing several specialty beers in anticipation of its anniversary party in January, but the brewery put some on hold for "such a worthy cause," Dickinson says.
"The ability to use our beer to help [Sierra Nevada] out, it's an amazing opportunity," he says.
Proceeds from Resilience Butte County Proud IPA benefit the Camp Fire Relief Fund, which was founded by Sierra Nevada. Gregory says the brewery is working closely with the town of Paradise, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and insurance companies to figure out which organizations would be the best beneficiaries.
"We don't want to duplicate efforts, so we're looking for a hole in coverage," she says. "Our goal is focus on long-term community building and support. Obviously, the most dire needs will be housing and infrastructure."
Gregory is optimistic the fund will be able to make a meaningful impact thanks to not only the breweries, but also to Sierra Nevada's suppliers that have agreed to donate the necessary ingredients and the wholesalers and retailers that have offered to distribute the beer for free.
"I've never seen anything quite like this," she says. "These are our competitors... essentially saying something is more important than business — and they're doing this for people they've never met before. It's pretty incredible."
Where to find Resilience Butte County Proud IPA in Dallas-Fort Worth
Breweries throughout D-FW are releasing Resilience Butte County Proud IPA and hosting launch parties. The beer will be available only on draft at the breweries, and many will have it for several weeks after the initial debut. Sierra Nevada is distributing it in cans to retail stores.
- BrainDead Brewing: Release day on Thursday, Dec. 20 at 11 a.m. 2625 Main St., Dallas.
- Collective Brewing Project: Release party on Thursday, Dec. 20, from 4 to 10 p.m. This event doubles as "firefighter appreciation day," when active and retired firefighters receive 20 percent of their bills. 112 St. Louis Ave., Fort Worth.
- Community Beer Co.: Release party on Wednesday, Dec. 19, from 5 to 9 p.m. 1530 Inspiration Drive, #200, Dallas.
- Cowtown Brewing Co: Release day on Wednesday, Dec. 26. 1301 E. Belknap St., Fort Worth.
- Denton County Brewing Co.: Release day on Friday, Dec. 21, 200 E. McKinney St., Denton.
- Dirty Job Brewing: Release party on Saturday, Dec. 29, at 5 p.m. The brewery is auctioning off a Jameson barrel to raise additional funds. 117 N. Main St., Mansfield.
- Legal Draft Beer Co.: Release day on Friday, Dec. 21, from 4 to 8 p.m. 500 E. Division St., Arlington.
- Martin House Brewing Co.: Release day on Wednesday, Dec. 19, from 4 to 10 p.m. 220 S. Sylvania Ave., Suite 209, Fort Worth.
- New Main Brewing Co.: Release party on Thursday, Dec. 20, at 7 p.m., alongside the brewery's regular trivia night. 3533 Marathon St., Pantego.
- Rabbit Hole Brewing: Release day on Friday, Jan. 10, at 5 p.m. 608 Topeka Ave., Justin.
- Steam Theory Brewing Co.: Release day on Thursday, Dec. 20, at 4 p.m., which is during happy hour when all house beers are $1 off. 340 Singleton Blvd., Suite 100, Dallas.
- Tupps Brewery: Release day on Friday, Jan. 25. 721 Anderson St., McKinney.
- Wild Acre Brewing Co.: Release party on Saturday, Dec. 15, from 2 to 6 p.m. 1734 E. El Paso St., Fort Worth.
- Unlawful Assembly Brewing Co.: Release day on Thursday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. 7800 Windrose Ave., Plano.
