... or breweries

There is more than one thing we intend to make at Community Beer Works, once we really get rolling.  Sure, we’re gonna make a whole lot of beer,  beer that you really, really want to drink! But we also formed this company because we strongly believe that a brewery–or any other business–can make a difference in the world, can help make the world a better place.  We don’t want to be simply in a community, we want to be of a community.

(This is one of the reasons, incidentally, that our efforts vis-a-vis location have been ponderous; we want to be a neighborhood brewey to whatever extent we can be so-situated.  Local zoning, however, wants us to be in a medium-industrial zone, as if we’re treading heavily on resources and gushing forth waste. O! outdated zoning code: free us, ZBA!)

Needlessly Static And Unresponsive

So, how will we do that? Quite frankly, we think simply making beer actually counts- it’s dual purpose!  Historically, alcoholic libations have tended, overall, to encourage positive social iteractions and generate productive conversations.  Sure, overindulging can drive that the other way, and some people maintain decorum better than others when under even a little influence, but as a whole, we think alcohol, drunk responsibly, is a beneficent thing.  Though Franklin didn’t say it, beer certainly is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.  Also Dionysus, Ninkasi and Tezcatzontecatl.

We’ve generated a number of interesting schemes, and we’ll be revealing them as we move along, but I wanted to take this Thirsty Thursday to point out one such initiative emanating from the retail side of things, specifically from our local mega-purveyor of things beery, Consumers Beverage.  You can go on to their specific page about it here, but let me sum it quickly for you: Between July 13 and Aug 14, you can donate your 5-cent bottle/can redemptions, on the spot, to the Buffalo City Mission.  It’s actually part of a larger program, which you can find out more about here or here, in which the City Mission is getting people to pledge to return bottles–anywhere–and donate those proceeds to their campaign.  But Consumers upped the ante by making it so very easy to give.  In fact, I’m off to Consumers right after I finish writing this.  I nearly always have empty bottles around, don’t you?

This Thirsty Thursday, a tip of the hat to Consumers, and why not make a personal pledge to clean out the recycling bin before Aug 14th, and help feed a person in need.  Thanks!