![Opportunity. [Photo Credit: Bay Area Brewers Guild, 2023]](https://beer511.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/BABG_DEI_Collab_This-Beer-Creates-Opportunity_hires-850x638.jpg)
SF Beer Week starts this Friday! Again this year, rather than the single big gala kickoff event in San Francisco, the Bay Area Brewers Guild will be putting on five regional SF Beer Week Kick-Off Parties.
What is even more different this year is that rather than each region presenting a signature brew for Beer Week, this SF Beer Week unveils a single official collaboration brew, which will be the only beer to appear across the menus of all five regional SF Beer Week Kick Off parties.
This Beer Creates Opportunity is a juicy, hazy Double IPA created to delight while helping to address shine a spotlight on questions of diversity, equity and inclusion in the beer industry — and what members of the Bay Area Brewers Guild are doing about it. Funds raised by sales of this beer are earmarked for a new endowment for diversity-focused scholarships to the world-renown brewing education programs at the University of California at Davis.
To learn more, check out the press release from the Bay Area Brewers Guild:
SF Beer Week Kicks Off with “This Beer Creates Opportunity” Fundraiser to Launch Diversity Endowment
For Immediate Release:
SAN FRANCISCO – A limited-edition collaboration beer put out by the Bay Area Brewers Guild will be this year’s Official SF Beer Week Collaboration Release, kick-starting fundraising to help improve diversity, equity and inclusion in the craft beer industry.
Proceeds from the beer’s release, along with other contributions, will be used to establish a dedicated Guild Scholarship Endowment to be facilitated by University of California, Davis Continuing and Professional Education for the purpose of providing access to brewing education courses and brewing certificate programs.
Created by brewers from six local craft breweries, the hazy Double IPA dubbed “This Beer Creates Opportunity” will be poured at all five SF Beer Week Kick Off events. The hoppy, juicy beer will also be a highlight of celebrations from February 10 to 19 at dozens of the craft beer bars, retail outlets and restaurants hosting their own SF Beer Week festivities around the region.
DeVonne Buckingham, Director of Brewing Operations at Drake’s Brewing in San Leandro, hosted the brew day, welcoming fellow collaborators from Hella Coastal Brewing Co. of Oakland, Humble Sea Brewing Co. of Santa Cruz, Dokkaebier of Oakland, S27 Alehouse & Brewery out of San Jose and HenHouse Brewing Co. of Santa Rosa & Petaluma, all members of the Guild’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee.
“The brewing program at UC Davis offers one of the most respected academic approaches to brewing science in the world,” said Buckingham. “We are proud and pleased that this big, juicy collaboration brew will be an important step toward establishing this endowment. The Bay Area craft brewing scene is eager to welcome new faces and palates and historically marginalized communities.”
The recipe for this “future focused” Hazy Double IPA was designed to express notes of passion fruit, guava, mango, lychee, citrus and fresh cut pineapple, all without the presence of actual fruits. On brew day, the team deftly employed locally developed London Tropics designer yeast strain; Bru-1, Simcoe and HBC 586 hops; and select grains, including oat, wheat and a back-to-the-future dose of California-grown heirloom malt. Among the components contributed to support the cause were ingredients and services from Berkeley Yeast, Admiral Maltings, BSG CraftBrewing, Custom Label, Barretto-Co and label designer Blanca of @blanca.creative.
The beer’s name, This Beer Creates Opportunity, is a nod to American composer and activist Woody Guthrie, who famously played an acoustic guitar inscribed, “This Machine Kills Fascists.”
This Beer Debuts at SF Beer Week Opening Events
As this year’s Official SF Beer Week Collab, This Beer Creates Opportunity is the sole beer to be tapped at all five regional SF Beer Week Kick Off celebrations on February 10 and 11, in San Francisco, San Jose, San Rafael, San Leandro and Seaside as the long week gets underway. Beyond these marquee opening events, the beer will be available both on draft and in 16-ounce cans at multiple locations during beer week, including Drake’s Barrel House and Drake’s Dealership. Watch for retail locations and an opportunity to donate directly at SFBeerWeek.org/Collabs
Here Comes the Rest of SF Beer Week
Hundreds of activities in dozens of towns and cities across the region are already online, with more pouring into the listings at SFBeerweek.org, where craft beer fans go to select from all the tastings, gatherings, pairings, fun activities and rare tappings to come.
About the Bay Area Brewers Guild
The Bay Area Brewers Guild is a non-profit 501(c)(6) trade association whose mission is to support and promote local independent craft beer and breweries throughout the greater Bay Area. Stay atop the region’s world-class craft beer scene year round at DrinkBay.Beer
About the University of California, Davis Master Brewers Certificate Program
For more than 25 years, the UC Davis Master Brewers Certificate Program (MBCP) has been providing students with an in-depth understanding of brewing science and brewery engineering and preparing them to enter the brewing industry with the potential to rise to the highest levels of leadership within it. The in-person and online programs are committed to increasing representation in the brewing industry and actively work to include diverse perspectives and voices in their curriculum and students. The MBCP partners with the Michael James Jackson Foundation and guest lecturers in 2021 included Garrett Oliver (talking about the need for DEI in the brewing industry) and Veronica Vega (on how Deschutes Brewery set up its DEI training program). The program has graduated more than 850 students from more than 20 countries.