Brewers tap trees for fundraiser

Brewers tap trees for fundraiser

Schmohz Brewing head brewer Chas Thompson plants a tree at the 2013 Brewers Grove tree planting. Courtesy Bryan Esler | MittenBrew.com

The Brewers Grove Project is back for the second year.

More than 20 Grand Rapids-area breweries have partnered with Friends of Grand Rapids Parks to raise money for the Urban Forest Project.

Each brewery will brew a tree-themed beer, with $1 from each pint heading to the Brewers Grove Fund, which will expand the Riverside Park tree canopy and help the Urban Forest Project achieve maximum tree canopy in the city.

Last year, the tree/beer project helped plant 30 trees at Riverside Park, and helped Friends of Grand Rapids Parks earn Arbor Day Foundations Excellence in Urban Forest Leadership Award.

The Brewers Grove Project is uniquely Grand Rapids,said Steve Faber, executive director of the parks group. Our community is known for great craft beer and also as a leader in urban forest issues nationally.

A kickoff party will be held at Harmony Brewing Co. in Eastown with local politicians and brewers to help the public learn more about the Brewers Grove Project. Along with Harmonys tree beer, Sumac Hefeweizen, White Flame Brewing Co., Pike 51 and Cellar Brewing Company also will have their beers on tap.

"We want to be a benefit to the community that is very supportive of us and our industry,” said Jackson VanDyke, Harmony owner. "This is a great way for the breweries to collaborate and do something positive for our city.”

This year, area breweries also will sell Brewers Grove shirts for $18, with $1 from each going to the fund. Grand Rapids artist Erica Lang designed the logo.

A party will be held on Sept. 12 to celebrate the project. The movie Strange Brewwill screen at 8:30 p.m. The trees funded by this years project will be planted in October and attendees on Sept. 12 can sign up to help.

The participating breweries and their special offerings are:

B.O.B.s Brewery, Tangerine Trees, fruited wit

Brewery Vivant, Devastation, oak aged double IPA

Cellar Brewing Co., Apple Ridge IPA, fruited IPA

Crankers Brewery, Kangaroo Rodeo Barrel, aged brown ale

EB Coffee & Pub, Oaked Melon Saison, red oak Saison

Elk Brewing, Sassafras Brown

Founders Brewing Co., Lil’ Saplin’, young barrel-aged Scotch ale with additional oak

Grand Rapids Brewing Co., Bonita Applebrown, smoked brown porter with apple

Gravel Bottom Craft Brewery & Supply, Cedarino, cedar planked pale ale

Harmony Brewing Co., Sumac Attack, sumac Hefeweizen

The Hideout Brewing Co., Sticky TreeHugger, maple oak pilsner

HopCat, Naughty Nicodemus, cucumber juniper lime gruit

Jaden James Brewery, Smoke on the Water, smoked Marzen

The Mitten Brewing Co., Oak Aged Pine Tar DIPA (week 1) and Double Maple Pecan Brown, imperial brown ale (week 2)

O'Connor's Homebrew Supply, Smokin' Red Wood Scotch Ale, extract kit

Osgood Brewing, Spruce Almighty, spruce tip black IPA

Perrin Brewing Co., Hopwood, oak-aged double IPA

Pike 51 Brewing Co., Beer That Shall Not be Named, maple almond Belgian brown ale

Rockford Brewing Co., Beechwood Brown, smoked oatmeal brown

Schmohz Brewery, Barrel Aged Kiss My Scottish Arse, smoked Scottish ale

White Flame Brewing Co., Nut Job, black walnut ale

The Peoples Cider Co., Cherry Tree Cyser, cherry cyser