A Cold One for a Cause

Chances are, by the time you finish reading this sentence, tickets for the Great American Beer Festival will already be long gone. (They go on sale August 1, and last year they sold out in about an hour.) Knowing you probably missed the brewski boat like we did, we put together this hypothetical six-pack to replace that disappointment with the fuzzy feeling of do-gooding. Purchasing these pints benefits youth education, outdoor preservation, and a slew of other Colorado causes. Oh, and if you did manage to snag GABF tickets, you’re welcome to try these anyway. Then you can be lucky and good.

Two22 Brew
Patio Peach Pale Wheat

Find It: Two22 Brew in Centennial

What’s in a name? A socially conscious business approach, that’s what. For every $10 in profit, Two22 contributes $2.22 to Colorado organizations that focus on environmental stewardship, personal development, or education, as in the case of Playworks Colorado. Playworks aims to make recess a safe and inclusive part of the day for students in Colorado schools.

Makin’ Noise
A Pussy Riot Beer Series

Find It: Factotum, Black Sky, Grandma’s House, Baere, Goldspot, and Colorado Plus

The women behind the Makin’ Noise series first banded together in the wake of Trump’s election to raise money for groups like Planned Parenthood and LGBTQ advocacy group One Colorado. On July 19, they tapped their latest batch of spirited beers. (At press time, recipes hadn’t been finalized, but fruits like orange and cranberry were in the mix.) The brews will benefit charities like Girls Rock Denver, a nonprofit providing music education for girls and gender-nonconforming youth.

Many Rivers Brewing
Amber Ale

Find It: Grand Junction–area liquor stores and restaurants

After paddling the Colorado, nothing satisfies like an ice-cold beer, especially if it helps keep our beloved river pristine. Many Rivers Brewing, a public-benefit corporation, does just that by donating all of its profits to local organizations that work for river conservation and protection. Keep an eye out for its forthcoming IPA, planned for release by the end of the year.

Black Shirt Brewing Co.
Electric Ladyland Raspberry Saison

Find It: Black Shirt Brewing Co. in RiNo

At the beginning of this year, BSB launched its tank of the month program, which pairs a new beer release with a different charitable organization with each flip of the calendar. This month, $1 of every raspberry saison purchased will go to Youth on Record, which offers a variety of music programs to students in Denver schools and residential treatment centers.

Lady Justice Brewing
Sandra Day IPA

Find It: ladyjusticebrewing.com

Good news: When you buy a membership from Mountain View–based Lady Justice, you receive a new 22-ounce beer every month. Bad news: 2017 memberships are sold out. (You’ll be able to join the 2018 list in November.) The women-owned beer CSA gives 100 percent of profits over cost to “organizations that promote the status and opportunities of women and girls.” That includes Hands of the Carpenter, a Lakewood nonprofit that provides auto mechanic education to single mothers and widows.

Declaration Brewing Company / New Terrain Brewing Company
Giddy-hop Pale Ale

Find It: Declaration and New Terrain taprooms (or in cans at Golden Giddyup)

Show your appreciation for local trails by sipping this collaboration from Denver’s Declaration and Golden’s New Terrain breweries. Proceeds from the pale ale will benefit Golden Giddyup, a September mountain bike festival that raises funds for trail maintenance in Jeffco Open Space parks.

---

Drink Globally, Think Locally

If your beer tastes skew more global, you can still drink for a good cause with Imperial Silver, an American-style lager from Costa Rican brewery Cerveza Imperial. In June, the brand, which returns more fresh water to the environment than it uses, launched the product exclusively in Colorado.