Ukrainian Beer Is Coming to the US Via American Breweries Large and Small

An industry-wide show of support

Chernigivske Beer
A general view of the production process during the launch of Chernigivske Beer at Leuven Brewery on May 06, 2022 in Leuven, Belgium.
Alexander Scheuber/Getty Images for AB InBev

Spend enough time wandering through the craft beer aisles and you might notice something: breweries really enjoy collaboration. That this is the case isn’t all that surprising; craft brewing is, after all, an industry that values experimentation and the exchange of ideas. If you can come up with a delicious ale or porter when doing so, then that’s even better.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine earlier this year — and the subsequent array of support for Ukraine — has led to a number of breweries addressing the situation. Not surprisingly, this has also involved some collaborations — including Resolve Ukraine Beer, described as “[a]n open-source collaboration beer to recognize the determination of the Ukrainian people and to aid the humanitarian effort.”

The beer was inspired by Naz Drebot, former brewer of 42 North Brewing Company, located not far from Buffalo, New York. After leaving the United States, Drebot returned to Ukraine and founded 2085 Brewery there — and he came up with the recipe for one of the two Resolve beers. The effort has grown to include a host of craft breweries in the United States — and, having had KCBC‘s contribution to this effort, I can attest that it is both very tasty indeed.

Craft breweries aren’t the only ones getting involved in the efforts. A new article at NJ.com details the brewing efforts underway at Anheuser-Busch’s Newark facilities, where efforts are underway to brew Chernigivske, a popular Ukrainian beer, in a show of support for the nation. As the article notes, proceeds are benefitting humanitarian relief in Ukraine — and the United States isn’t the only country where AB InBev facilities are being used to brew the beer.

Drinking good beer to benefit a good cause? It’s hard to argue with that.

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