A Stratford brewer of non-alcoholic craft beer has teamed up with a national and global rock climbing champion to debut a new limited-release IPA to recognize Pride Month.
Athletic Brewing said it collaborated with World Cup Gold Medalist and LGBTQI+ advocate Alex Johnson on Rainbow Wall, a blood orange IPA.
The brewer said it will donate all net profits from the new beer to Athlete Ally, a nonprofit that aims to make athletic communities more inclusive.
In a statement announcing the beer Tuesday, Johnson, a winner of five US National titles, said at least 80% of LGBTQI+ athletes are not comfortable coming out to their coaches.
“Growing up in the Midwest, I was one of those athletes,” said Johnson. “Athlete Ally is such a great organization, and I am excited to present this beer to the queer community to say that we see you and we support you.”
Rainbow Wall is named after a well-known mountain face at Red Rocks in Nevada. It is considered one of the most challenging climbs of the area and is Johnson’s favorite, Athletic Brewing said.
Johnson worked with Athletic co-founder and head brewer John Walker to create the 70-calorie beer, the craft brewer said.
Athletic describes Rainbow Wall as “a slightly hazy IPA with a clean malt bill, that allows the soft, tropical fruit notes from the Strata hops to shine.”
Johnson said in the statement that she approached Athletic Brewing about doing a limited-release beer for pride month after seeing Athletic’s Soul Sour beer during Black History month.
The climber said she and her partner, Bree, enjoy Athletic’s non-alcoholic beers while out bouldering on weekends.
Athletic projects a $20,000 donation to Athlete Ally from proceeds of the beer. It said it will use the funds to create a symposium this fall to train coaches on how to create safe spaces for young LGBTQI+ athletes.
Rainbow Wall is available via Athletic Brewing’s website starting today (June 1).
Contact Natalie Missakian at news@newhavenbiz.com
