We believe we should be a force for good for our city and its citizens. We’ve devoted impact programs to both levels – community-wide support and individual needs. While we, unfortunately, cannot say ‘yes’ to every request that comes our way, we can do for one person what we wish we could do for everyone. That is the heartbeat of Brew For One.
This program really began in late 2017 with the tragic loss of one of our beloved Creatures – Bob Weckback, who was our head cellarman. We worked with Jesse Ferguson, Bob’s brother-in-law and cofounder of Interboro Spirits & Ales, to create a collaboration beer in honor of Bob. In 2018 we released the beer, aptly named Cellarman’s Spirit. We then used the profits from the release to seed a college fund for Bob’s son.
Since then, Brew For One has evolved and been part of meeting many needs: building shelters, buying cars, funding medical research, investing in startup schools, and more. The program works to identify new recipients every year and to meet some of their most pressing needs. We then brew a beer and put those profits to work.
2019
We released Cellarman’s Spirit again with 100% of the profits going towards efforts to find a cure for Neurofibromatosis (NF) in honor of a Creature’s nephew who was diagnosed with the disorder. NF is a genetic disorder that affects nearly every organ system and causes tumors to develop on nerves in the brain as well as throughout the body. We were able to raise $8,456 to put towards this important cause!
2020
We released Ria Pell Ale, a pale ale brewed to honor the late chef and Atlanta native, Ria Pell. Ria’s story inspired us and led us to the Georgia Harm Reduction Coalition (AHRC), a charity Ria championed throughout her life. Through GHRC, we met our recipient, Yamasheta, and with the profits from the beer we were able to purchase a car, a washer and dryer, and several gift cards for essential items for her and her daughter. Hear more about Ria and Yamasheta’s stories here.
2021
We worked with Athens Area Habitat for Humanity to remodel a quadruplex unit to provide stable housing. Our original recipient found housing during the process, allowing us to repurpose the unit for Tony, an individual we were connected with through Athens Area Habitat for Humanity. Check out Tony’s story here.
In 2022, we decided to pilot the program as a collaborative project, having been approached by WeldWerks Brewing in Greeley, Colorado. During the first half of the year, we worked alongside WeldWerks to help them contextualize this program for their city. We then participated in their recipient selection and service project in Greeley (in June 2022) before inviting them into a service opportunity here in Athens (in September 2022) benefitting the Joy Village School, a startup private school dedicated to the joy and thriving of Black youth. Not only did Brew For One initiate a service opportunity, but through this program, we were able to financially cover the cost of the curriculum at Joy Village.