Deschutes Brewery announced today that it is joining Brewgooder‘s Global Gathering campaign to help bring clean water to developing countries with a special beer release for the weekend of World Water Day. The brewery will be releasing a special beer, Clean Madzi Lager, with proceeds donated to The Brewgooder Foundation for clean water projects.

Here’s the full press release:

Deschutes Brewery has joined 250 brewers from across 24 countries to simultaneously release unique, small-batch beers to bring clean water to developing countries. Deschutes brewed a specialty Helles Bier at their brewhouse in the original brewpub downtown Bend, calling it Clean Madzi Lager (Madzi is water in native Malawi language).

This campaign is part of Brewgooder’s mission to bring clean drinking water to one million people in developing countries through their campaign, the Global Gathering, taking place on the weekend of World Water Day (March 20-22). The collaborative project launched by the Scottish craft beer company includes brewers from as far as Australia, Hong Kong, the U.S., and more than 150 breweries from across the UK. By “thinking globally, acting locally”, Deschutes will donate proceeds from Clean Madzi Lager to The Brewgooder Foundation for clean water projects in Malawi, as well as to the Coalition for the Deschutes in Bend, helping to restore the brewery’s namesake, the Deschutes River.

“Helping to build a healthier community is our longest held value at Deschutes and we’re proud to join the craft brewing community on this global fundraiser,” said Deschutes Brewer Robin Johnson. “Water is essential and the most important ingredient in beer, we want to do whatever we can to support efforts for clean water for all.”

Clean Madzi Lager is a Helles Lager, a lightly malt forward lager with subtle noble hop character. It is easy drinking with a focus on the delicate influence of the regionally sourced ingredients from providers who focus on sustainability and environmentally friendly practices, and the pristine water provided through the Bend Municipal Watershed.

Alan Mahon, Brewgooder’s founder, said: “The Global Gathering shows what the craft beer community is capable of when we collaborate and use our shared passion to make a positive impact. By working together, we will help empower 100,000 people by giving them clean water, something the rest of us take for granted. To have 250 brewers from across the world get behind our mission is incredible, I can’t thank them enough. They will not only make people happy with their amazing beers but also impact lives around the world.”

Deschutes’ partnership with local water conservation organization, Coalition for the Deschutes, will help spread awareness of the need to protect our own local water source through their Share the Vision Be the Change initiative. The Coalition and Deschutes will host events in honor of World Water Day (March 20-22). Clean Madzi Lager will be released on draft at Deschutes pubs and tasting room on Friday, March 20, where they’ll be pouring fresh pints through the weekend until it’s gone.

• Friday, March 20th from 4-6pm; The official launch event of this specialty beer, Clean Madzi Lager, at the Deschutes Brewery Tasting Room.
• Saturday, March 21st; Fundraising dinner with National Geographic photographer Chad Copeland in the Deschutes Brewery Mountain Room. https://www.facebook.com/events/2219229498386419/

About Deschutes Brewery

Deschutes Brewery, family and employee owned since 1988, is one of the quintessential beers of the Pacific Northwest. Founded on the guiding principles of true craftsmanship, ultimate quality, and extraordinary consumer experience, Deschutes Brewery is recognized for defining beers such as Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fresh Squeezed IPA and the non-stop release of pioneering small batch experimental and barrel-aged beers. Deschutes can be found at its brewpubs in Bend and Portland, Oregon, Tasting Rooms in Bend, and Roanoke, Virginia and at accounts in 31 states across the country. Visit Deschutes Brewery’s beer finder at https://www.deschutesbrewery.com/beer-finder/ to find a Deschutes beer near you. www.deschutesbrewery.com

About Brewgooder Global Gathering

Previously, Brewgooder has worked with BrewDog (who will also be releasing a special beer for World Water Day) on their flagship clean water lager, with 100% of profits going to support over 130 projects in Malawi. These projects include well rehabilitations, new borehole construction, sanitation systems and water mapping to ensure the long-term sustainability of well constructions. Through the Brewgooder Foundation, the projects have already positively impacted 80,000 lives and counting. The packaging design for each collaborative beer will be inspired by the theme ‘water’ and designed by each individual brewery using Brewgooder’s two distinct colors – orange to represent beer and blue to represent water. Once brewed, every beer will be released simultaneously at participating venues on the weekend of 20-22nd March 2020, to mark World Water Day. To find out more and join the movement, visit www.brewgooder.com/gathering. Issued on behalf of Brewgooder by Story Shop. For further videos, images and interview requests, please contact: gregor@wearestoryshop.com

About Coalition for the Deschutes

The Coalition for the Deschutes works to restore the Deschutes River so fish, farms, and families all can thrive. Learn more about the Coalition and the Shared Vision for the Deschutes at: www.coalitionforthedeschutes.org

Clean Madzi is probably going to be draft-only since it was brewed at the pub (10 barrel capacity) but it would be great to see it make its way into cans.