(Press Release)
DURHAM, N.C. and HILLSBOROUGH, N.C.—Two North Carolina breweries are leading the charge in a unique response to North Carolina’s recent HB2: by brewing beer.
“We didn’t feel like HB2 represented us as businesses or as residents of North Carolina,” said Erik Lars Myers, Mystery Brewing Company CEO and Head Brewer, “We wanted to do something in response and making beer is what we do.”
The beer will be called “Don’t Be Mean to People, A Golden Rule Saison” and will be brewed at Ponysaurus Brewing Company in Durham, N.C. with North Carolina grown barley, wheat, and sorghum on April 16. It will be available for purchase in May.
100% of the profit from the sales of the beer will be donated to two North Carolina based charities, EqualityNC (http://equalitync.org/) and QORDS (http://qords.org/).
“We’re fortunate to be in a tight-knit and collaborative industry,” said Keil Jansen, Owner and Brewmaster at Ponysaurus Brewing Company, “We’ve gathered support from dozens of our fellow brewers, and we have the ability to make a significant social impact by working together for a greater good.”
“Together, we can show people another side of North Carolina,” added Myers.
So far, over 30 breweries and brewing industry businesses have pledged support, labor, or ingredients to the collaboration beer and the collaborators expect that number to grow.
In addition to profits from the sale of the beer, the brewers have launched a fundraising campaign via generosity.com allowing the community at large an opportunity to give to the cause, while receiving something in return for their generosity. The fundraising campaign can be found at http://bit.ly/ncgoldenrule.
North Carolina’s craft beer industry is one of the fastest growing in the country and has created more than 10,000 jobs along with an annual economic impact of $1.2 billion, according to Brewers Association statistics.