Against the Grain Brewery will join four other breweries around the country in honoring the men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military with the release of “Fallen Comrade” for Memorial Day Weekend.
Ferment.Drink.Repeat, a small veteran-owned brewery in San Francisco first brewed the beer in 2017 and contacted Against the Grain and others around the country to join them in brewing the special tribute beer this year. Other breweries participating include All-American Ale Works (Anaheim, Calif.), 49th State Brewing Company (Anchorage, Alaska), and Dueces Wild Brewery (Colorado Springs, Colo.) who all have produced their own variants of the red ale for release to the public.
The beer was inspired by the desire of FDR owner and brewer Kevin Inglin (himself a retired Army Lt. Col. who served in both OIF and OEF) to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice to our Nation and to also remind people of the difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day.
“For those of us who’ve worn the uniform, it’s not uncommon around Memorial Day each year for people to thank us for our service. While this sentiment is appreciated, it’s also a bit misguided because the true purpose of Memorial Day is to remember those who are no longer with us – Veterans Day would be the appropriate day to thank our current service members and retirees,” said Inglin in explaining the difference between the two service-related observances. “We’re extremely humbled to have multiple breweries joining us this year to help remind people Memorial Day Weekend to raise a glass and toast those brave souls who never made it back from serving in harm’s way.”
Against the Grain has its own reasons for brewing Fallen Comrade.
“My father is an army veteran,” said Adam Watson, co-founder and owner of Against the Grain. “He worked as a dentist. A lot of his friends and by association a lot of my friends are or were active duty. So the opportunity to honor and remember those is one we should not pass up.”
“Fallen Comrade” is a red ale that incorporates attributes of the “Fallen Comrade Table” into the brew. These attributes include the red color to symbolize the blood that has been shed on the battlefield, lemon peel to signify the bitter fate of the fallen, and salt to reflect the tears that have been shed by loved ones left behind.
The five breweries participating this year will donate a portion of proceeds from the sale of Fallen Comrade to The Memory Box Project, an organization in Paso Robles, Calif. dedicated to making hand-crafted heirlooms for the families of the fallen. Against the Grain will be donating 100% of Fallen Comrade red ale sales on Memorial Day.
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