In 1997, long before the birth of this blog, I started an organization called Beer Church. The shortest description I can provide: Beer Church brings beer drinking and charitable giving together, providing beer lovers with fun and affordable ways to support worthy causes. I started Beer Church because I believe that beer’s higher purpose is to bring people together for the betterment of our community. Most people in the craft beer industry agree with me. That is one of the reasons I find my involvement in the beer industry (however ancillary it may be) so rewarding. That said…
Many of you already know the story of Bob’s Brown Ale by Georgetown Brewing and all you need to know is where to find it this year. We provide the list of participating bars below. Others of you do not know about Bob’s Brown Ale yet. You should.
Bob’s Brown Ale is philanthropic brew released once a year by Georgetown Brewing. This ongoing project, now in its 8th year, continues to gain momentum. Georgetown celebrates the release of the beer each spring on May 14th with a big party at the Nickerson Street Saloon. Last night at the kickoff party, the crowd consumed 8.5 kegs of Bob’s. Impressive. The beer is out there right now waiting for you.
All proceeds from the sale of the beer benefit Ronald McDonald House. The beer also spurs many special events—silent auctions, for instance—that earn even more money for the cause. According to Georgetown Brewing, Bob’s Brown Ale has raised well over $258,000. They’re modest. According to Ronald McDonald House, Bob’s has raised more than $330,000.
Manny Chao, co-owner of Georgetown Brewing, was a counselor at a camp for sick kids. That’s where he became friends with Bob Hirsch. Shortly after his 21st birthday, Bob lost his battle with cancer. His fight was valiant, inspiring much more than the beer bearing his name. I know that Georgetown does not want me to heap praise upon them, but they deserve some recognition for raising over $330k for Ronald McDonald House.
Some people say that Bob’s Brown Ale is Georgetown Brewing’s best beer. Personally, I hate using the word best to describe beer. It is always a matter of taste and personal preference. In this case, I’m willing to make an exception. Bob’s Brown Ale is Georgetown’s best beer. The beer is darn tasty, but that has nothing to do with it.
Georgetown is not alone. Most, if not all, of our local breweries engage in charitable giving—donating raffle items for school fundraisers, providing beer for non-profit events, and so on. Other breweries have programs similar to Georgetown’s, with a specific beer designated to benefit a particular cause. It proves the point that local beer is more than a consumable product; it is part of our community.
Cheers to Georgetown Brewing and cheers to Bob’s Brown Ale. Now go get yourself some of that tasty stuff! Here’s where you should look for the beer. You’ll have to check with each to see if and when it’s going on tap.
2nd Street Grill (Yakima)
74th St. Ale House
9lb Hammer
A-town Bistro (Anacortes)
Aldarra Golf Course
Ale House Tacoma
Apollo’s Pizza (Olympia)
Arena Sports Issaquah
Arena Sports Magnuson
Arena Sports Redmond
Attic Ale House
Azul (Mill Creek)
Bar Del Corso
Barking Dog
Beaver Inn (Bellingham)
Benniditios Pizza (Spokane)
Bert’s Pub (Yakima)
Beveridge Place Pub
Bill’s Place (Yakima)
Bravehorse
Brickhouse (Vancouver)
Brown Lantern (Anacortes)
Bubba’s Tavern Kent
Buckley’s Belltown
Buckley’s Queen Anne
Café Mox
Calamity Jane’s
California Pizza Kitchen Bellevue
California Pizza Kitchen Northgate
California Pizza Kitchen Southcenter
Campbell House (Chelan)
Capones Coeur D’Alene
Capones Hayden
Capones Post Falls
Cedar Grill (Maple Valley)
Cedars at Dungeness (Pt. Angeles)
Celtic Bayou Lynnwood
Celtic Bayou Redmond
Christo’s
Circa
College Inn Pub
Columbia City Ale House
Cooper’s
Coug, The (Pullman)
Deluxe Bar & Grill
Doc’s Marina Grill Bainbridge
Doc’s Marina Grill Pt. Townsend
Dog & Pony (Renton)
Duke’s Kent Station
Duke’s Lake Union
Eastside Club (Olympia)
Elk, The (Spokane)
Fiddler
Floyd’s Place
Flying Squirrel Maple Leaf
Flying Squirrel Seward Park
Fred’s Rivertown Alehouse (Snohomish)
Front Door (Boise)
Great Nabob
Gtown Liquor Co.
Harbour Pub (Bainbridge)
Hard Rock Café
Hawk’s Nest
Highliner
Hills Neighborhood Restaurant (Richmond Beach)
Hilltop Ale House
Hooverville
Hudson (Gtown)
Indigo
Ivar’s Acres
Ivar’s Mulkiteo
Ivar’s Salmon
Jabu’s
Jimmy’s on 1st
Jules Maes Saloon
Kate’s Pub
Kirkland Lodge
Lake Trail Taproom (Kenmore)
Latona Pub
Lobby Bar
Loretta’s Northwesterner
Ma’ono
Madison Pk Conservatory
Madrona Ale House
Manito Tap House (Spokane)
Marco Polo
Meconi’s (Tacoma)
Montlake Ale House
Mulkiteo Lodge
Murphy’s
Napoli Pizza
Nickerson St. Saloon
Norm’s (Fremont)
North Bend Bar & Grill
O’Blarney’s (Lacey)
Oddfellas (Auburn)
Ozzie’s
Parilla Grill (Boise)
Parkway (Tacoma)
Pine Lake Ale House (Sammamish)
Pints & Quarts (Lacey)
Pioneer Square Saloon
Porterhouse (Mt. Vernon)
Post St. Ale House (Spokane)
Pour House (Pt. Townsend)
Prima Bistro (Langley)
Pumphouse (Bellevue)
Quinn’s
Rainier Bar & Grill (Enumclaw)
Red Door
Red Hot (Tacoma)
Red House (Renton)
Renaissance Hotel
Roanoke Inn Mercer Island
Roanoke Park Place Tavern
Rory’s (Edmonds)
Sand Point Grill
Serendipity
Shanahan’s (Vancouver)
Sharp’s Roaster (SeaTac)
Shawn O’Donnell’s (Everett)
Shorty’s
Siren’s (Pt. Townsend)
Skep & Skein (Olympia)
Sloop
Smarty Pants
Sport Restaurant & Bar
Sports Center (Yakima)
Sporty’s Beef & Brew (Everett)
Stadium Lodge
State Street (Bellingham)
Stellar Pizza
Sunset Ale House (Issaquah)
Swiss (Tacoma)
Tap House Grill Bellevue
Tap House Grill Downtown
Taphouse Ink (Black Diamond)
Terrible Beauty Renton
Terrible Beauty W. Sea
Tides (Gig Harbor)
Tin Hat
Train Wreck (Burlington)
Traveler
Two Beers Brewing Co.
Up & Up (Bellingham)
Village Pub
Von Trapps
Wedgwood Ale House
West 5
West Seattle Bowl
Westin Hotel (Bellevue)
Wilde Rover (Kirkland)
Wildfire (Pt. Angeles)