Good morning and happy Friday to all! How's everyone's team doing this World Cup? We will 100% be pouring one (or two) out for the USA vs Australia match later today!
In today’s newsletter, we’ll get into:
Weird beer ingredients ft. edible glitter and recycled shower water
Beer for the fight against ALS
The first Black Woman owned brewery in DC, just in time for Juneteenth
[ 01 // THE FLIGHT ]
Our faves from this week
🧪 This week in weird beer ingredients: CO2 sourced from on-site air, edible glitter, and recycled shower water.
🏭 A new challenger has appeared in the fight against data centers: Clean Beaches Lager from Cold Springs Brewing Co.
📅 Eamoni Collier aims to make a bold statement by opening DC's first Black woman-owned brewery on Juneteenth.
🧵 Purpose Brewing sets the live event bar insanely high with Cross Stitch Night. Supplies + beer both included. Beer & crafting? Sign us up.
🎗️ The new ice bucket challenge: Southern Tier & the National Comedy Center released Bit by Bit Blonde Ale to help fund the fight against ALS.
[ 02 // THE PINT ]
This soccer-centric brewery is the only place to watch the World Cup
What does the biggest soccer tournament in the world and beer have in common? They unite people from all over for the love of the game. At Varitage Brew Works in Bloomfield, New Jersey, the soccer roots run especially deep. From Barça flags flying high to finding your own country's flag hanging next to the beer tap; it's all there.
The name says it all. "Varitage" is a word owner Mark Costa coined himself, a mashup of variety and heritage which is a nod to his Azorean Portuguese and Italian roots and the multicultural community he grew up in right in Northern New Jersey. His vision was simple: bring families together the way it's always been done, with TVs blaring, glasses clinking, and the beautiful game on full display. Eight flat screens and a large projector later, it's safe to say he pulled it off.
Soccer fanatics pack the taproom all year round, but the World Cup (hosted right here in North America this year) has brought the energy to a whole new level. Watch parties are filling the brew house with the kind of crowd that makes you feel like you're watching from the stands.
Varitage calls itself New Jersey's soccer-centric brewery, and honestly, the title fits. It's a place where craft beer and culture come together in the best way; not just for the match, but for the tradition behind it.
Personally, we wish we were there to watch the US take on Australia today. Shoutout to the innovators and beer lovers who build spaces like this that feel like home for anyone who loves good beer, great matches, and the people who make both worth showing up for.
Oh, and Go USA! 🇺🇸