23 March 23rd–March 29th, 2023 phoenixnewtimes.com phoenix new Times | cONTeNTs | feeDBacK | OPiNiON | NeWs | feaTuRe | NighT+Day | culTuRe | film | cafe | music | Better Together How beer collabs help breweries, brands, and nonprofits tap into a wider market. BY GERI KOEPPEL A nyone who’s ever been to an independent brewery or picked up a can of craft brew probably has seen the term “collaboration” on a menu or can. Scroll through the Untappd app, and many breweries list pages upon pages of collaborations. But what, exactly, does that mean? How do collaborations come about? Who decides what’s in the beer? How do they serve the collaborators, consumers, and community? Beer collaborations or “collabs” are generally cross-promotions between brew- eries, fashion brands, foods, sports teams, charities — pretty much anything. The amount of work ranges from a quick, “Sure, let’s do it” to dozens of emails back and forth to decide everything from which style of beer will be made to what the label will look like. When breweries do collabs, “it’s benefi- cial for both of us,” says Zach Fowle, head of marketing for Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. “We’re reaching groups we might not necessarily reach within our main customer base and we’re telling our story to people who may not have heard it before.” And it lets breweries spread the word about beers, businesses, or causes they like and support. Collabs generally break down into three types: A brewery promoting awareness of a nonprofit and often donating a portion of the proceeds, a brewery joining marketing forces with a non-beer business, or two breweries working hand-in-hand on a unique brew. Although a nonprofit or busi- ness sometimes has a say in the type of beer brewed (lager, IPA, stout, etc.), the final flavor profile is up to the brewers. Many of the most rewarding collabs are beers made for a cause. Centered around International Women’s Day on March 8 each year, hundreds of teams around the world join forces to make a beer with the Pink Boots Society, a group that helps women and non-binary people in the adult beverage industry further their careers. “Any brewery in the world can partici- pate in a Pink Boots brew,” says Sue Rigler, who’s been involved with the group for six years, long before she opened Hundred Mile Brewing Co. in Tempe in late 2022. “I’m super excited to have a brew day of my own,” she says, adding that her Pink Boots brew will be released in early April. Some breweries give $1 a pint to the cause; others a flat donation. Half of the funds raised by the Pink Boots Society collab go to the local chapter and half to the parent organization. Rigler says it’s great for women in the industry because “we get to travel and we get to learn.” She attended an educational retreat where she learned more about fermentation and other aspects of brewing. But the bulk of collabs with nonprofits benefit a bevy of causes beyond the beverage industry itself. Tyler Smith, the owner and founder of Kitsune Brewing Co., launched his brewery with a sort of triple collaboration. Working out of the brewery at Simple Machine Brewing Co., he participated in the national Black is Beautiful beer campaign that raised money and aware- ness for police brutality reform. Since opening his own location in north Phoenix, Smith created a beer called Know History for Black History Month in February to benefit Black Girls CODE. When brewers choose a cause, he says, “it’s something that means something to us in our hearts. It always feels like it’s genuine and organic.” In an on-brand collab, Arizona Wilderness made a “Superb Owl” beer in February with the Audubon Society as a wink to the big game. It’s also created beers to benefit the Arizona Trail Association, Equality Maricopa (which provides schol- arships to LGBTQ youth), the MS Society, and the Pat Tillman Foundation. The brewery does between 20 and 30 collabs each year. Wren House Brewing Co., which does about 10 collabs a year, has worked on beers with charities ranging from the Audubon Society and Wild at Heart raptor rescue (a natural tie-in with the bird theme) to LGBTQ organizations, chil- dren’s hospice Ryan’s House, and others. “We definitely encourage our staff to bring their own personal stories to the brewery,” says Drew Pool, co-owner of Wren House Brewing Co. “Oftentimes we’ll get wind of an organization or cause from our staff — something that they’re passionate about and something they’re involved in.” The amount donated from a collab varies based on the size of the brewery. Smaller breweries might raise Arizo[na], Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co.’s non-alcoholic IPA , raised funds for the Arizona Trail Association. Arizona Wilderness Brewing Co. ▼ Café Sue Rigler (left), owner of Hundred Mile Brewing Co., poses with Billie McGovern at a fundraiser for the Arizona chapter of the Pink Boots Society. Hundred Mile Brewing Co. >> p 25
