Operation Homefront- Homefront IPA collaboration

Discussion in 'Beer Releases' started by youradhere, May 24, 2013.

Tags:
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. youradhere

    youradhere Initiate (0) Feb 29, 2008 Washington

    Not sure if this has been posted yet- but looks interesting. Maple aged IPA with orange peel, should taste interesting at least. The best part is the proceeds go to help my fellow vets!


    RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Craft breweries from around the country are toasting the troops with a beer aged with a unique ingredient that symbolizes America's pastime - baseball bats.

    Nine different brewers collaborated to create Homefront IPA, all using the same recipe, complete with orange peel and unfinished maple Louisville Sluggers. Toward the end of the fermentation process the beer soaks in a tank with the maple bats.

    All proceeds from the beer, which is being released for Memorial Day, will be donated to Operation Homefront, a national group that provides emergency financial assistance to military families.

    The Hops for Heroes project began in 2011 when Chris Ray, co-founder of Center of the Universe Brewing Co. in suburban Richmond, was pitching for the Seattle Mariners.

    A home brewer at the time, Ray wanted to partner with a local brewery to create a charity beer. Together with Fremont Brewing Co. in Seattle and his brother, Phil, they developed the recipe and chose the charity Operation Homefront, which was suggested by Ray's childhood friend that served as a soldier in Afghanistan.

    "I was always taught when I was growing up to help out the people that help you," Ray said while talking about the beer at The Diamond, home of the Flying Squirrels minor league baseball team. "They're putting their lives on the line for us every day. The least we can do is help them keep their car on the road or help them keep their house."

    The list of participating breweries has grown to include Cigar City Brewing in Tampa, Fla., Sly Fox Brewing Co. in Pottstown, Pa., Perennial Artisan Ales in St. Louis, 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco, the Phoenix Ale Brewery in Phoenix, Left Hand Brewing Co. in Longmont, Colo., and Stone Brewing Co., in Escondido, Calif. Other sponsors within the craft brewing industry provided ingredients and supplies to help brewers keep their costs down and increase the amount of money raised for the cause.

    Last year, the project helped raise $165,000, with additional donations to the group coming in because of the beer project, Ray said. After the beer is brewed, the bats also are dried and auctioned off.

    The breweries will sell the beer in bottles and kegs in their areas, with all proceeds being donated to local chapters of the charity. Bottles in the Richmond market even include American flag caps.

    "It doesn't really get any more Americana than beer, baseball and America's troops," Ray said.

    While Ray is glad more breweries are participating in the project, he said he wants it to grow slowly to keep the beer novel.

    Aaron Taylor, spokesman for Operation Homefront, said the project is a great opportunity for folks to support military families and have a good time.

    "It's a win-win for everybody," said Taylor, whose group helped meet the needs of 151,150 military families in 2012 by paying for car and home repairs and other financial aid.

    Craft brewers are known for using their beers to support causes that they believe in, said Julia Herz, the craft beer program director at the Brewers Association, a Colorado-based industry group.

    "They're just so tied to their communities," she said. "It's a very symbiotic thing,"

    And with beer lovers excited to see a craft beer that benefits a charity, the beers usually sell out fast.

    "What feels good tastes even better," Herz said.

    Other adult beverage makers also support projects that benefit the military.

    Several wineries a have created wines to support military groups like Operation Homefront.

    Bourbon bottler Jim Beam has partnered with Operation Homefront for the past five years to raise money and awareness through promotional events such as concerts. And whiskey company Wild Turkey has teamed up with The Boot Campaign, which supports veterans through the sale and promotion of combat boots. Its "Boots and Bourbon" initiative raises money and highlights returning veterans' issues.

    ___

    Online:

    http://www.hopsforheroes.com

    http://www.operationhomefront.net

    ___

    Michael Felberbaum can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/MLFelberbaum.
     
    #1 youradhere, May 24, 2013
    LeRose, dvelcich and Hotmetal1 like this.
  2. timontheroad

    timontheroad Pooh-Bah (1,623) May 9, 2011 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah

    What an awesome tribute to our fallen soldiers, sailors and airmen!

    http://hopsforheroes.com/

    I don't know if this will be availble around here, but I'll be looking for it on my upcoming trip to the east coast. Huge props to the collaborating breweries...
     
    #2 timontheroad, May 24, 2013
  3. MCMASTERSANCHEZ

    MCMASTERSANCHEZ Pundit (995) Jun 28, 2012 Indiana

    No word on where you can find it at?
     
    #3 MCMASTERSANCHEZ, May 24, 2013
  4. gjoker321

    gjoker321 Initiate (0) Dec 26, 2007 Florida

    Cigar City is part of something like this https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...98065765.55862.175770072449361&type=1&theater .
    "This special once a year brew is released today & we have it on tap & bottle. Homefront IPA brewed by Cigar City Brewing raises money through its proceeds from this beer to Operation Homefront- a Military Veterans Emergency relief fund. Great Local Brewery & a tremendous cause !!! Join us today for one & start the Memorial Day weekend early. Live music tonight by touring band Big Kettle Drum 8:30-11. Maybe even swing over to Straub Park & catch the free movies in the park series by Saint Petersburg Preservation featuring E.T. tonight. Lots going on in our Great City this weekend so enjoy!!"
    Just announced it goes on sale at the brewery tomorrow.
     
    #4 gjoker321, May 24, 2013
  5. timontheroad

    timontheroad Pooh-Bah (1,623) May 9, 2011 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah

    Each of the collab breweries are supposed to be putting out their version, Chris Ray @ Center of the Universe Brewery referred me to Left Hand to see when & where their version will be released. Try your luck with your closest collab brewer!
     
    #5 timontheroad, May 24, 2013
  6. Ravenacht

    Ravenacht Pundit (916) Aug 10, 2012 Florida
    Trader

    Good stuff .......
    From Cigar City,
    Check out The Ale and the Witch in St. Pete to grab some bottles of Homefront IPA, the special beer we release once a year to benefit Operation Homefront. This is a delicious hoppy IPA aged on authentic Louisville Slugger baseball bats. You... can find the beer at the Ale and the Witch tonight, and the brewery tasting room will also have them on sale at 11am on Saturday!

    For more information on Operation Homefront, check out this link:

    http://www.operationhomefront.net/florida/

    http://thefullpint.com/beer-news/cigar-city-brewing-tampa-bay-pitcher-jamey-wright-supports-hops-for-heroes-and-homefront-ipa/See More
    This special once a year brew is released today & we have it on tap & bottle. Homefront IPA brewed by Cigar City Brewing raises money through its proceeds from this beer to Operation Homefront- a Military Veterans Emergency relief fund. Gr...eat Local Brewery & a tremendous cause !!! Join us today for one & start the Memorial Day weekend early. Live music tonight by touring band Big Kettle Drum 8:30-11. Maybe even swing over to Straub Park & catch the free movies in the park series by Saint Petersburg Preservation featuring E.T. tonight. Lots going on in our Great City this weekend so enjoy!!
     
    #6 Ravenacht, May 24, 2013
  7. BillHem

    BillHem Initiate (0) Mar 3, 2012 Florida

    I'm going to try and grab a few bottles tomorrow from the brewery (they go on sale at 11am) :slight_smile:
     
    #7 BillHem, May 24, 2013
    Ravenacht likes this.
  8. Ravenacht

    Ravenacht Pundit (916) Aug 10, 2012 Florida
    Trader



    I will be there also.
     
    #8 Ravenacht, May 24, 2013
    BillHem likes this.
  9. gunhaver

    gunhaver Initiate (0) May 27, 2007 Florida

    CCB has bottles on sale now at the brewery, hitting distribution soon. 30 bbl batch so there should be enough bottles to satisfy a few markets. it's tasting delicious.
     
    #9 gunhaver, May 25, 2013
  10. velcrogrip

    velcrogrip Initiate (0) Mar 2, 2013 Florida

    Grabbed a couple bottles today. They had plenty available on site, along with Cucumber Saison.
     
    #10 velcrogrip, May 30, 2013
  11. JoshBrews

    JoshBrews Initiate (0) Apr 29, 2013 Missouri

    Perennial's is being tapped tonight, apparently! I really hope they bottled some of this, as I would love to drink now / drink later...
     
    #11 JoshBrews, May 30, 2013
  12. youradhere

    youradhere Initiate (0) Feb 29, 2008 Washington

    Anyone had this yet? Is it any good?
     
    #12 youradhere, May 30, 2013
  13. timontheroad

    timontheroad Pooh-Bah (1,623) May 9, 2011 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah

    Left Hand delayed their release until June 7th - the original batch didn't meet their expectations, so they are brewing another batch. Can't wait!
     
    #13 timontheroad, May 30, 2013
  14. velcrogrip

    velcrogrip Initiate (0) Mar 2, 2013 Florida

    Tried the Cigar City version... pretty good. Similar to White Oak Jai Alai... but a bit milder wood flavor. I guess that is the maple wood. Something between WO JA and regular JA.
     
    #14 velcrogrip, Jun 2, 2013
  15. jono0101

    jono0101 Initiate (0) Aug 1, 2011 Missouri

    i had perennials version on thursday at the brewpub, it was really good, better than last years if i remember right
     
    #15 jono0101, Jun 2, 2013
  16. JoshBrews

    JoshBrews Initiate (0) Apr 29, 2013 Missouri

    I also had Perennial's on Thursday...it was very good!
     
    #16 JoshBrews, Jun 3, 2013
  17. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    This is the third year that Fremont has brewed Homefront. First years was with Chris Ray while he was still pitching for the Mariners. Fremont started selling bottles a few weeks back and tapped it over Memorial Day Weekend.
     
    #17 distantmantra, Jun 3, 2013
  18. LeRose

    LeRose Grand Pooh-Bah (4,423) Nov 24, 2011 Massachusetts
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Get some MLB players to autograph the bats after the production and sell those - beer people and sports memorabilia nuts might buy 'em. Tie two markets together - generate more cash for the cause.
     
    #18 LeRose, Jun 3, 2013
    velcrogrip likes this.
  19. TNGabe

    TNGabe Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2012 Tennessee

    I am the only one who saw the logo and thought 'Birds of War' from It's Always Sunny? They should put this next to Dayman on the shelf.

    [​IMG]
     
    #19 TNGabe, Jun 3, 2013
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.