By Press Times Staff
GREEN BAY – Two local grants to help area businesses through the COVID-19 pandemic have benefited from sales of a special beer brewed by Badger State Brewing Company.
The Greater Green Bay Chamber’s Greater Green Bay Back to Business Grant and a new grant started by the Greater Green Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau will each receive at least $5,000 from the sale of “All Together” by Badger State Brewing.
“All Together” was made with an open-source recipe that’s part of an international All Together initiative involving 500 breweries in 40 countries.
The beer went on sale Friday, May 8, and was sold out at the brewery by Wednesday, May 13, said Andrew Fabry, founder of Badger State Brewing Co.
Fabry said some liquor stores and grocery stores may still have some available this weekend.
“Give your neighborhood store a call, or give your favorite liquor store or grocery store a call, to ask ‘Do you have it in stock?’” he said. “Places are very good on going to check things for people. It never hurts to ask. That’s kind of the best advice we can hand out at this point.”
Badger State produced 30 barrels (the equivalent of 1,200 gallons) of the special beer.
A hazy, dry-hopped India Pale Ale, “All Together” was made from Simcoe, Centennial, Cascade, Mosaic and Citra hops.
Fabry said it took about four weeks to brew.
“One of the first discussions we had following the shutdown of bars, restaurants, retailers and other hospitality businesses that sell and support Badger State Brewing was, ‘What are we doing to help these people?’” he said. “We decided Northeast Wisconsin needed to be represented in this grant venture, and that these funds are great recipients for proceeds from the beer’s sales. We are a business that has one foot in hospitality and one in manufacturing. Right now, the manufacturing and wholesale side is what’s keeping us afloat. It’s definitely not business as usual, but it’s something.”
The chamber grant program caters to small- and medium-sized businesses whose operations have been significantly impacted as a result of COVID-19.
Having a member of the hospitality community affected by COVID-19 step up in this way is a testament to Greater Green Bay as a whole, said Kelly Armstrong, vice president of economic development, Greater Green Bay Chamber.
“At its heart, the Greater Green Bay Back to Business Grant, and Badger State Brewing’s participation in the fund, is the epitome of the neighbor-helping-neighbor behavior that’s fundamental to this community,” she said.
To learn more about the grant program, visit thestartuphub.org/backtobusinessgrant.
“We’re well aware that we are all better off if more of us as businesses come back from this pandemic,” Fabry said. “We are honored to help the grant get businesses back on their feet.”