Buy a beer and help the local food bank. Win, win.
For folks in Westmoreland and Washington counties, that soon will be a reality when Helltown Brewing and Ohio nonprofit Helping Hops partner to release “Hellping Hops.”
A portion of sales from the 6.5% ABV New England-style India pale ale will be split between the Westmoreland County Food Bank and the Greater Washington County Food Bank.
“I believe $1.50 from every draft sale in our taprooms will go to the food banks,” said Scott Strain, Helltown’s director of marketing and social media. “And then $1 from each four-pack sale, and $6 from a whole case will also go to the food banks.”
Helping Hops was started in 2017 with a mission of promoting social and environmental sustainability and aiding in local fundraising by “mobilizing the passion and generosity of the craft beer community,” according to founder and president Andrew Stroh.
“In short, we’re helping to offset some base costs of the beer, like ingredients, and we’re helping to organize the project with the food banks,” Stroh said.
Strain said Helltown is planning to release Hellping Hops in time for Valentine’s Day, “but we’re not quite sure we’ll hit that deadline,” he said. “It’ll be within the next two to three weeks.”
As for the beer itself?
“You’ll get those fruity, citrusy aromas out of it,” Strain said. “It should be a nice, hazy-looking IPA.”
In addition to collaboration fundraisers, Helping Hops also helps raise money for charities in Ohio as well as the Firefighters 4 Kids program, providing gifts for families in need at Christmas.
Strain said it was a good opportunity at the right time.
“We usually don’t do too many collaborations,” he said. “But as these things pop up, we look at whether it’s beneficial and whether we can help a good cause.”
Westmoreland County Food Bank officials estimated at the peak in the late spring, food was distributed to 9,500 families per month. Those numbers dropped by roughly 1,000 during the summer, but they still are significantly higher than the 7,000 families per month the food bank typically served before covid-19.
For more, including an update on the official release date, see Helltown Brewing.com.
