How Ohio Breweries Give Back with Special Beers

Ohio breweries show up for their communities through creative beer collaborations infused with local pride, altruism and do-gooding.

“Breweries do so much to foster a sense of community in their neighborhoods and towns, while also maintaining the culture of collaboration and cooperation on which our industry was built,” says Mary MacDonald, executive director of the Ohio Craft Brewers Association.

Each year, OCBA spearheads several charitable beers. The statewide collaboration From the Heart, now in its sixth year, benefits the nonprofit and is made possible through the support of suppliers, including the Country Malt Group. Kevin Ely, the brewmaster at Wooly Pig Farm Brewery, developed this year’s recipe. The second beneficial beer, Brasseuse, funds the OCBA’s diversity scholarship that provides formal brewing education assistance to underrepresented industry professionals.

“Beers brewed for a cause start essential and powerful conversations about how our industry and our communities can grow and improve,” MacDonald says. 

Fundraising is integral to the parent-teacher nonprofit at Dominion Middle School in Columbus, hitting close to home for many parents. This spring, the school partnered with Derive Brewing to create a hop-forward, low-alcohol Junior IPA, with malt donated by RahrBSG. Each pint and four-pack sold to parents and customers earned the organization $1, helping kids pay for a trip to Washington, D.C.

There’s no limit to the causes supported by suds. Ohio breweries including Rhinegeist Brewery, Collision Bend Brewing Co. and Maumee Bay Brewing Co. participate in Ales for ALS to produce beers that support research for the neurodegenerative disease. Seventh Son Brewing Co. teams up with RESCUEDOhio, a foster-based canine rescue, on the Rescued blond ale that places photogenic pooches on can labels.

To celebrate America’s 250th birthday this year, Columbus Brewing Co. partnered with the America 250 Committee of Ohio to produce a limited-edition IPA. Fittingly, it’s packed with classic American hop aromas like pine and citrus. “This beer is a celebration for the whole year,” says Eric Bean, brewmaster at Columbus Brewing Co.. Consider it your patriotic duty to crack cans on the Fourth of July. Doing good never tasted so good.

On Tap is for Ohio craft beer fans and is produced by Great Lakes Studios in partnership with the Ohio Craft Brewers Association.