#BreweryStrong

Our third anniversary party last week was a fantastic excuse to party (socially distanced, naturally) with all our brewery brethren here in Cape May County, and it was also a chance to donate a portion of proceeds towards a great cause.

Born in March/April 2020, the brainchild of Rob Callaghan, #brewerystrong, came to fruition during the early days of the pandemic. With taprooms and tasting rooms closing for several weeks, as well as distribution coming to a grinding halt, breweries all over the country were facing an immense hurdle.

Just over a year old now, the non-profit has seen immense support from all over New Jersey's craft beer scene - and for good reason. Their initial fundraising endeavors were for direct financial aid to those in the hospitality industry suddenly facing unemployment. According to their website, Brewery Strong will also set aside funds to go towards a scholarship for brewery education initiatives. 

#BreweryStrong VP John Couchoud was our guest of honor at last week's shindig, holding a Q&A for head brewer Tony, owner Brendan, and local artist Russ. Many laughs were shared, a certain assistant brewer's musical choices were called out (to be fair, I only listened to Rammstein that one day), and beers were raised to toast all of Cape May County's breweries who came out to show us love and support a great cause. It was truly an example of how close-knit this community really is.

If you're looking to help support #BreweryStrong, you can make direct donations at brewerystrong.org or shop their merch. This pandemic has brought many challenges for so many of us that any little bit helps, even over a year into it.