(Raleigh, NC) – Although water is one of the most vital resources on the planet, waterways continue to decline in quality and quantity in virtually every part of the world. SweetWater Brewing Company realizes the importance of protecting these vital water sources and has once again joined with Waterkeeper® Alliance members throughout the Southeast to help conserve some of these most threatened rivers, streams and coastlines.
Kicking off Memorial Day weekend running through July 4, “Save the Neuse” campaigns will be in full force this summer. With the great successes from their Atlanta-based campaigns, SweetWater expanded their reach throughout the region in 2008 to include presence in the Carolinas, Alabama and Florida.
Last year, the North Carolina General Assembly cut funding for environmental programs across the state by 12%. The assembly is scheduled to cut an additional 22% for 2012, making the collaborative fundraising efforts between SweetWater and the Waterkeeper® Alliance more important than ever.
SweetWater’s summer-long programs will encourage fans to “Give of Your Liver to Save the River” by purchasing t-shirts, seasonal Waterkeeper® ale or paper fish displays at participating retailers and restaurant. Proceeds from these efforts throughout North Carolina will specifically benefit French Broad and Upper Neuse Riverkeepers®.
In 2011, the SweetWater team launched its Waterkeeper® Hefeweizen, a great beer with a great cause, in which proceeds go back to benefit local Waterkeeper® organizations. Now part of their seasonal Catch and Release line-up, the unfiltered Hefeweizen brew will return to draft taps on limited release later this month to help ramp up awareness and donations.
Raising the bar even higher this year, SweetWater is hosting its first-ever regional concert series featuring the nationally acclaimed bluegrass band and headlining act Railroad Earth. The concert hits the road June 20-24 touring Raleigh, Charlotte, Charleston and Jacksonville. Each concert will feature information from the local Waterkeepers®, enter-to-win VIP opportunities and limited-edition tour merchandise with proceeds going back to the Catawba Riverkeeper® and Upper Neuse Riverkeeper®.
“A lot of folks don’t realize it, but local waterways account for a main ingredient in our beers, while also serving as a fresh water source for the community,” said SweetWater Founder and Big Kahuna Freddy Bensch. “So keeping our water clean is a cause I think we can all believe in, and we’ll continue to do anything we can to help raise awareness and make these efforts possible.”
For more information on concert details, to learn more about the campaigns or to make a donation, please visit www.waterkeeperbrew.org. For more details on Upper Neuse Riverkeeper®, visit www.savetheneuse.com. For more details on SweetWater Brewing Company, visit www.sweetwaterbrew.com.
ABOUT SWEETWATER BREWING COMPANY:
SweetWater Brewing Company is an Atlanta‐based craft brewery specializing in aggressive West Coast style beers. SweetWater’s brews are unpasteurized and designed to be consumed fresh so distribution is limited to the Southeast. The award‐winning lineup of year‐round brews includes SweetWater 420, IPA, Exodus Porter, Blue, LowRYEder and Georgia Brown. SweetWater also features a Catch and Release series of beers available on a limited basis throughout the year, and an experimental, one‐time‐only Dank Tank series. The SweetWater Brewery, open for tours every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 5:30‐7:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 2:30‐4:30 p.m., is located at 195 Ottley Dr NE, Atlanta GA 30324. For more information about SweetWater Brewing Company, please visit www.sweetwaterbrew.com. For more of a social relationship with SweetWater Brewing Company follow @sweetwaterbrew on Twitter and become a fan on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sweetwaterbrew.
