Harpoon Brewery in Massachusetts is releasing a special “community ale” for COVID-19 pandemic relief this month, a revisiting of the brewery’s first beer from 1986 with proceeds from the sales benefiting several local organizations. Good stuff happening, on top of Harpoon also producing hand sanitizer since last month.

Here is the press release announcing the new beer:

Harpoon Brewery announced today a new beer to support the frontline workers and hospitality professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: Harpoon “For The Frontline”. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Boston Resiliency Fund, Off Their Plate, and The Vermont Community Foundation’s VT COVID-19 Response Fund to help provide relief to those affected by the novel coronavirus.

Harpoon “For The Frontline” is a re-release of the brewery’s original Harpoon Ale, which was first brewed in 1986 when three friends set out to open Massachusetts’s first brewery after decades of dormancy in the state. Harpoon Ale was decisively different from the light lagers of the time and quickly become a local staple at bars, restaurants, and the brewery’s many festivals.

“We founded Harpoon with the goal of serving our community, and that mission is just as relevant now as it was in ‘86. We knew we had to do something big to help support those who have been impacted by COVID-19 and a new release of our Harpoon Ale felt like the perfect way to honor them and help raise vital funds,” said Dan Kenary, CEO and co-founder of Mass. Bay Brewing Company, maker of Harpoon. “We chose to partner with local organizations that we knew could make the most of the proceeds and really help those that are on the frontline of this pandemic, from the healthcare professionals and first responders who are keeping us all safe, to the hospitality professionals who have served Harpoon in their bars and restaurants for so many years. This beer is just a small way for us to say thank you and give back.”

The partner organizations include:

• Boston Resiliency Fund, which coordinates support and essential services to Boston residents, whose health and well-being are impacted by COVID-19, and assists first responders and critical care providers.
• Off Their Plate, which provides nutritious meals to healthcare professionals at the frontline of COVID-19 while providing economic relief to local restaurants and their staff.
• Vermont Community Foundation, which developed the VT COVID-19 Response Fund to extend and expand the capacity of nonprofits particularly equipped to address the immediate and long-term community impacts of the spread of COVID-19 in Vermont.

Harpoon “For the Frontline” is made with Harpoon’s proprietary yeast strain, resulting in a signature fruity aroma with light undertones of caramel malt. At 5% ABV, the beer is easy-drinking and approachable with a smooth, medium body and crisp finish.

“For the Frontline” will be available in mid-to-late May and sold in 4-pack cans at a suggested retail price of $12.99. To see where it is sold once available, check out the Harpoon beer finder: https://www.harpoonbrewery.com/beer-finder/.

To further support healthcare workers, Harpoon also recently launched a program that allows consumers to buy them a beer later by buying a gift certificate now. When the Harpoon Beer Hall (Boston, MA) and Riverbend Taps (Windsor, VT) reopen to the public, any healthcare worker can come in, present a valid hospital or medical staff ID and redeem one of the gift certificates for a free beer. Customers can add this option to their cart when ordering takeout or delivery through Harpoon.

Keep an eye out for that beer and make sure to buy some as a way to help out the community.

Harpoon has also been producing hand sanitizer in conjunction with Deacon Giles Distillery since April; the brewery has been providing beer to the distillery to distill into the ethanol needed to make sanitizer. From that press release:

Initial shipments have been donated to Boston YMCAs in order to support the emergency childcare centers open to essential workers. Current and future shipments of the hand sanitizer are also being shared with the Boston Resiliency Fund in order to get this vital product in the hands of essential frontline workers.

Due to restrictions to on-premise consumption, many breweries and distilleries across the country have the available resources and equipment to help produce ethanol-based hand sanitizer. To make the product, Harpoon Brewery sent Deacon Giles beer that was left untapped at the brewery, which they then distilled and turned into hand sanitizer. The hand sanitizer was then shipped back to Boston for Harpoon to begin distribution.

The runs are being packaged in half gallon jugs. Other Massachusetts craft beverage producers involved in this effort include Aaronap Cellers, Boston Wort Processors, Far From The Tree Cider, Granite Coast Brewing, Ipswich Ale, and Notch Brewing.

There have been a lot of brewery/distillery hand sanitizer stories and I’ll continue to post about them as I get the emails. Every company involved needs to keep up the good work!