SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — More than half of the San Diego-based breweries that participated in a fundraiser to help Camp Fire victims say they've completed their donation on time, according to research by the 10News team.
In December, Sierra Nevada brewing asked breweries across the nation to brew "Resilience IPA" as a way to make money for the Butte Strong Fund.
Sierra Nevada offered to provide the recipe and work with suppliers to get the ingredients donated. All the local brewers had to do was brew and sell the beer, and donate 100% of the proceeds to the fund.
According to Sierra Nevada's Resilience IPA website, more than 1,400 breweries across the country signed up. That includes 43 in San Diego County.
Sierra Nevada asked the brewers to finish selling Resilience IPA by April 30 and complete their donation by May 14.
In an email sent to brewers on May 21, Sierra Nevada said that nearly half of the breweries still hadn't completed their donation.
10News reached out to all 43 breweries in San Diego that took part in the effort to see if they're living up to their end of the fundraiser. We also asked how much money they were able to donate.
Of the 43 San Diego breweries we called or emailed, 29 told us they had finished their donation and sent in a check. Those breweries sent more than $217,000 combined. Three breweries told us they haven't been able to finalize their donation. Eleven breweries have yet to respond to our questions.
For Societe Brewery CEO Doug Constantiner, helping Camp Fire victims was personal.
"One of my really good friends lost his house in the fire," Constantiner says. "When we saw the email come through, there was no question about it. We knew we were on board and signed up right away."
Societe brewed 20 barrels and raised $16,000.
"I think people really got the message what the Resilience IPA was brewed for and were willing to put their dollars behind it, knowing it was going to a good cause," says Constantiner.
San Diego-based AleSmith Brewing made a smaller, two-keg batch, but still raised $1,400.
"I can honestly never think of another time that another brewery's tap handle was on here at AleSmith," says Quality Supervisor Peter Cronin.
He hopes that the breweries that haven't been able to finalize their donation will send the money soon.
"I'm hoping they didn't just use a big brewery's name, a quality brewery's name to market it a little bit," says Cronin. " And I hope they would donate the money from that beer. It's another brewry's recipe, it wasn't their own."
Here is the list of all the San Diego breweries that participated in the Resilience IPA campaign and what they told 10News about their contributions:
- AleSmith Brewing Company: Brewed 2 kegs to sell in tasting room and raised $1,400. Donation complete.
- Ballast Point Brewing: Brewed an undisclosed amount and raised $30,000. Donation complete.
- Barrel Harbor: Brewed 8 barrels and raised $4,000. Donation not yet complete. Told 10News they still have to work out their financials after an issue with their merchant service provider.
- Belching Beaver: Brewed 15 barrels and raised $14,666. Donation completed on March 27.
- Bell Marker Brewery & Kitchen: Brewed 10 barrels but did not say how much money was raised. Donation complete.
- Benchmark Brewing: Had to withdraw from fundraiser due to production issues. Couldn't brew beer in time allowed by Sierra Nevada. They notified SN already
- Bitter Brother: No response.
- Black Plague Brewery: No response.
- Burgeon Beer: Brewed 15 barrels and raised $12,555. Donation Complete.
- Culture Brewing Company: Brewed 10 barrels and raised $11,121.25. Donation completed on January 22.
- Dos Desperados Brewery: No response.
- Double Peak: Brewed 4 barrels and raised $1,700. Donation complete.
- Fall Brewing Company: Brewed 15 barrels but did not say how much money was raised. Donation sent in early May.
- Fourpenny House: Brewed 3 barrels and raised $1,750. Donation complete.
- Green Flash: Brewed 15 barrels and raised $7,157.26. Donation complete.
- Gordon Biersch: No response.
- Half Door Brewery: Brewed 7 barrels and raised $12,000. Donation complete.
- Home Brewing Company: Brewed 3 barrels and raised $4,000. Donation sent on April 26.
- Karl Strauss: Brewed 10 barrels and raised $7,200. Donation complete.
- Ketch Brewing: Brewed 14.5 barrels and raised $8,776.29. Donation completed on March 21.
- Latchkey Brewing: No response.
- Mike Hess Brewing: Brewed 30 barrels and raised $7,500. Donation complete.
- Mikkeller: No response.
- Mission Brewery: No response.
- Modern Times Beer: Brewed 20 barrels and raised $6,250. Donation complete.
- OB Brewery: No word on how much brewed/sold. Told 10News they raised $7,533 and completed their donation on June 14.
- Pariah Brewing Co: Declined to give specifics on amount brewed or raised, but told 10News they have completed their donation.
- Pizza Port Brewery: No response.
- Poor House Brewing: No response.
- Port Brewing/Lost Abbey: Brewed 9 barrels and raised $7,000. Donation complete.
- Pure Project LLC: Brewed an undisclosed amount and raised $7,399. Donation completed in March.
- Resident Brewing: Brewed 10 barrels and raised $5,385. Donation complete.
- Rock Bottom Brewing: No information given on amount brewed, raised $6,995. Donation completed in February.
- Rouleur Brewing Company: Brewed 7 barrels and donated $3484. Donation complete.
- San Diego Brewing Company: Brewed 7 barrels and raised $5,544. Donation made on May 14.
- Savagewood Brewing Company: No response
- Second Chance Beer Company: Brewed 1 barrel and raised $716.95. Donation completed on December 29.
- Societe Brewing Co: Brewed 20 barrels and raised $16,000. Donation complete.
- St. Archer Brewing: Brewed 10 barrels and raised $6,122. Donation completed on May 13.
- Stone Brewery: Raised $31,184.26 from an undisclosed number of barrels. Donation sent in early March.
- Thorn Brewing: Brewed 15 barrels but did not say how much money was raised. Donation complete.
- Two Roots Brewing: No information on amount brewed, raised $3,459. Donation complete.
- White Labs: No information given on barrels or donation, as they sold the beer in both San Diego and Asheville, North Carolina locations. Donation complete.
