The World's Best Beer Is Being Turned Into Hand Sanitizer

Relax. Not all of the world’s best beer is gone.

Set for April, the biennial World Beer Cup — started in 1996 and often referred to as “The Olympics of Beer Competitions” — was recently and obviously canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. One problem: All the beer that had been sent for the competition was sitting in a warehouse in Colorado, and returning shipments in our current world environment was “infeasible.” There were also no long-term options for refrigeration.

The Brewers Association endeavored to make good out of poor circumstances and is grateful to partner with two Denver-based distillers, Denver Distillery and Ballmer Peak Distillery, who are making hand sanitizer and distributing to first responders. https://t.co/myFWaSWbNG

— Brewers Association (@BrewersAssoc) April 9, 2020

So the Brewers Association decided to do something good with the brews sourced from 2,700 domestic breweries (most of the international beer hadn’t made it to Colorado before the World Beer Cup was canceled); they partnered with two Denver-based distillers, Denver Distillery and Ballmer Peak Distillery, which are making hand sanitizer and distributing it to first responders.

According to the BA, staff and volunteers emptied thousands of cans and bottles into 275 gallon totes and delivered the first batch of 1,500 gallons to the distilleries this past Monday.

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