A Beer for the Community!

Xicha & Old Standby Charity Collab—A Beer for the People, By the People!

The first charity collaboration has dropped as part of my “Wild Idea for 2022” and this experience has already exceeded my expectations for the project. The beer is called Cerveza Común, which means: A beer for the people, by the people. I have participated in many collaborations over the years with different amazing breweries, which have all been unique and fun experiences, but this collab has been extremely gratifying and special to be a part of for a few different reasons.

“By the People”— All of the ingredients were donated by 3 incredible PNW companies: Yakima Valley Hops, Imperial Yeast, and Linc Malt. Then the beer was brewed in collaboration with me, “The Local Homebrewer,” and Xicha Brewing, “The Neighborhood Restaurant & Brewery.” Matt, the head brewer and co-owner of Xicha and his team were extremely supportive of this collaboration right from the beginning. Our 3 ingredient suppliers were amazing to work with, having all the ingredients for the 15bbls of IPA delivered directly to the Xicha brew house for the scheduled brew day. The beer was brewed on February 9th and is now pouring at Xicha in Salem, Oregon.

“For the People”—This is the second half of the project that is really special and what makes this beer different than any of the other collaborations I have participated in. Because I was able to secure all of the ingredients for the beer, Xicha will be able to donate 50% of the sales of the crispy IPA to 2 local charities.

The first, Family Building Blocks is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in Salem that was founded in 1997 with the goal of keeping children safe and families together in Marion & Polk Counties. The second, CAUSA—Oregon’s Immigrant Rights Organization is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in Salem with the mission of improving the lives of Latino immigrants and their families in Oregon through advocacy, coalition building, leadership development, and civic engagement.

On Monday, Xicha hosted one of their popular monthly Brindar events which, for March, showcased 5 courses of amazing Venezuelan cuisine paired with 5 different Xicha beers. Cerveza Común made its debut with the meal and was very well received by the 45 community members in attendance. The crispy IPA clocks in at 6.5% ABV and 50 IBU with a clean biscuit & mild crackery malt flavor, pleasant nose of Simcoe & Amarillo hops, and a refreshingly crispy finish.

Cerveza Común encapsulates the community experience on every level. From the donation of ingredients by local companies, to a brewery that is passionate about helping its neighbors, to the folks that will consume the beer with friends & family, and finally to the donations that will support 2 local charitable organizations. Truly a beer for the people, by the people that all started with the wild idea of a community homebrewer.

If you’re in the Salem area, make your way over to Xicha for some tacos and a pint or 2 of Cerveza Común!

Cheers,

Ryan

Old Standby Brewing

PS: Hey Homebrewers! If you’d like to brew this beer, here’s a scaled down recipe for you!