A Hurricane Irma relief effort between three local breweries has morphed into a statewide collaboration with the Florida craft beer community.
Originally, Green Bench Brewing Co., 7venth Sun Brewery and Coppertail Brewing Co. were set to brew a Pilsner malt-based IPA with a hop profile that spells out I-R-M-A, using Idaho 7, Rakau, Mosaic and Amarillo. Then, they discussed, they'd donate the proceeds to an agreed-upon charity.
"We started talking about this idea before the storm, because there is always a craze in the aftermath," said Green Bench head brewer and co-owner Khris Johnson. "Using our facilities, and network within our industry in order to help as many people as possible, seemed like the best way to make an impact for those who truly need it."
But industry support beyond Tampa Bay developed with their idea's evolution. Every component of the coming-soon relief beer — dubbed IRMA — has been donated, from the hops and malt to the label art and cans. Those donors include Bay Tech, Blue Label Digital, Craft Beer Crew, Craft Brands and Tampa Bay Beer Week.
The decision to share IRMA's recipe with breweries to the north and south also followed. Alongside Green Bench, Jacksonville's Intuition Ale Works, Jupiter's Civil Society Brewing and MIA Beer Company in Miami have jumped on board as host breweries to create the IPA, which will benefit Feeding Florida, the state's network of food banks. A small canning run is planned at each facility, and the rest will go to market for distribution.
Barrel of Monks, Biscayne Bay, Concrete Beach, Copperpoint, Gulf Stream, Sailfish, SaltWater, Tequesta, Twisted Trunk and Wynwood are the other participating breweries.
On Friday, IRMA brew day begins for Green Bench, 7venth Sun and Coppertail. Pending production, the beer's tentative packaging date is Oct. 11.
This article appears in Sep 21-28, 2017.