good works ENCORE
Drink to a Good Cause
Sam Zomer
Boatyard Brewing Co. taps specials brews for charity
For beer lovers, the act of imbibing a
delicious, cold brew is heavenly enough — but what if drinking beer supported local nonprofits at the same time? That’s the idea behind Boatyard Brewing Co.’s creation and distribution of two special brews, the sales of which help local nonprofits. The brews are one way that Boatyard’s owners are fulfilling a mission to connect to the local community through outreach work. “One of the things that Dan (Gilligan) and I committed to at the beginning was we wanted to be charitable,” says Boatyard coowner Brian Steele. 12 | Encore MARCH 2015
The Scotch ale Gimme Shelter, as reported in a recent issue of Encore, was specially created by Boatyard for Community Homeworks, a Kalamazoo-based nonprofit committed that helps struggling homeowners maintain their homes. But Boatyard also makes another special brew, EZ Ale, to benefit the Eric Zapata Foundation, a charity fund created in honor of the Kalamazoo Public Safety officer who died in 2012 after suffering a gunshot wound in the line of duty. EZ Ale is sold at fundraisers for the Eric Zapata Memorial Foundation; Boatyard then distributes it locally until it sells out.
Boatyard Brewing Co. co-owners Dan Gilligan, left, and Brian Steele brew up special ales for good causes.
The idea for creating the two special brews came after the Boatyard owners had hosted smaller-scale events to raise money for Crayons4Kids and for the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation. “After those events, we were asked in 2013 if we would make a beer to help spread the word about the Eric Zapata Memorial Foundation,” Steele says. “On April 18, 2013, we launched the EZ Ale at the Kalamazoo Beer Exchange and donated the first 10 barrels of those sales to the foundation.”