Pay it Forward: Pouring up the 'Iowa Giving Brew'
Cedar Rapids, IA — A play on words is now a reality for one local nonprofit, producing a beer akin to its namesake.
The Iowa Giving Crew now has its own beer, aptly named the 'Iowa Giving Brew,' in collaboration with Lion Bridge Brewing Company.
The Iowa Giving Crew started back in 2017 as a Thanksgiving food drive, but quickly evolved into helping the community in various ways.
"Our overall mission is to marshal our collective resources and fill the gaps in the community and help people out where we can," said Nick Dusil, President of the Iowa Giving Crew. "As we evolved the last couple of years, we wanted to branch out."
Branching out soon turned into helping schools in need via its 'Operation Education' mission, partnering with other area nonprofits, to even helping find chainsaws in the wake of the Derecho in 2020.
With so much going on throughout the year, the need for volunteer help is paramount, and Dusil had a unique way to get people together: beer.
"We had this idea with a name thing which is 'Iowa Giving Brew,' as a play off of Iowa Giving Crew," said Dusil.
Dusil reached out to Lion Bridge Brewing, who took the project head on.
"We had a couple meetings with Nick and his crew to talk about what that beer was going to look like," said Quinton McClain, the owner of Lion Bridge Brewing Company. "We tasted a lot of beers that are a broad spectrum of different styles and mixed and match to figure out which one they liked."
Together, they created the Iowa Giving Brew; A hoppy, blonde ale that can appeal to a broader audience.
McClain says opportunities like this give his brewery a chance to help out, and also get creative.
"It's fun to collaborate in the corridor and beyond to make beers that are a unique gift for their customers, and it helps get our name out there too," said McClain.
The organization hosted a recruiting event at the brewery on March 25 featuring the beer, with a portion of the profits going to the Iowa Giving Crew.
The beer is available in a limited batch on draft and in cans at the brewery, and area businesses like Local Craft Cellar and The Pedalers Fork in Cedar Rapids.
