Save the Black Warrior 2016

SweetWater Helps “Save the Black Warrior” in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa

For Immediate Release: July 8, 2016

BIRMINGHAM / TUSCALOOSA – SweetWater Brewing Company’s annual “Save Our Water” program returns to Birmingham and Tuscaloosa in July and August to support Black Warrior Riverkeeper, a nonprofit clean water advocacy organization. Sales of t-shirts, custom pint glasses, and signature-ready “fundraising fish” at participating restaurants, bars and stores will raise funds and awareness for local water resources.

The “Save Our Water” program will be called “Save the Black Warrior” in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. SweetWater’s local distributors, Birmingham Budweiser in Birmingham and Adams Beverages in Tuscaloosa, will help the brewery and Black Warrior Riverkeeper coordinate the program. Mountain High Outfitters will donate prizes to bartenders and servers who raise the most money for Black Warrior Riverkeeper at each of the participating businesses.

“Our collaboration with SweetWater has raised over $71,000 since 2008 for the vital but vulnerable Black Warrior watershed,” said Charles Scribner, Executive Director of Black Warrior Riverkeeper. “The program returns to Birmingham for the first time since 2012 while continuing its 8-year streak in Tuscaloosa.”

Supporting the conservation of some of the nation’s most threatened rivers, streams and coastlines is a cause near and dear to the brewery, as clean water is also vital to the creation of their tasty brews. SweetWater founded the “Save Our Water” program in 2006 with Chattahoochee Riverkeeper in Atlanta, and grew with the brewery’s distribution footprint to include other Waterkeeper Alliance members. Those yearly grassroots efforts have raised over $600,000.

SweetWater Brewing Company is broadening its annual Save Our Water campaign to “protect our right to clean water and tasty brews” to include five partner organizations: Waterkeeper Alliance, Trout Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, Surfrider, and Coastal Conservation Association’s National Habitat Program, Building Conservation Trust.

“We’re honored to expand on the Waterkeeper partnership this year, extend our efforts to four more incredible environmental champions, and look forward to the most robust joint fundraising efforts yet,” says Freddy Bensch, SweetWater’s founder. “This will help ensure that we always have great water to make great beer, and that generations to come will continue to enjoy and share our passion for the great outdoors.”

“We’re grateful for our growing partnership with SweetWater and the work they are doing to conserve our nation’s waterways,” said Marc Yaggi, executive director of Waterkeeper Alliance. “Using high quality water in the beer-making process is most reflected in the end product. So protecting clean drinking water resources is also about protecting great beer.”

To view the participating businesses in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa, scroll to the bottom of this page.

To view a high-resolution picture of the “fundraising fish” sold at the participating businesses, click here.

To view the high-resolution “Save Our Water” logo, click here.

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Black Warrior Riverkeeper is a citizen-based nonprofit organization whose mission is to protect and restore the Black Warrior River and its tributaries. We are advocates for clean water, wildlife habitat, and recreational opportunities throughout the Black Warrior Rivershed. To learn about the river and the threats to it, please visit blackwarriorriver.org

SweetWater Brewing Company is an Atlanta-based craft brewery living by the motto “Don’t Float the Mainstream!” In addition to making tasty brews, the company is passionate about protecting natural resources, and is recognized as an environmental advocate and champion for clean water throughout its distribution footprint. The award-winning lineup of year-round beers includes SweetWater 420, IPA, Blue, Georgia Brown, Take Two Pils, and Hop Hash. Four annual seasonal releases offer palate pleasing variety — 2015/16 introduced Hash Brown in fall, Whiplash in winter, Hash Session IPA in spring, and Goin’ Coastal in summer. SweetWater also features an experimental, one-time-only Dank Tank series and more progressive styles in the 750 mL Cork & Cage series. SweetWater Brewery – located at 195 Ottley Drive in Atlanta – is open for tours every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. as well as Saturdays and Sundays from 2:30 – 4:30 p.m. Learn more at sweetwaterbrew.com

Participating Businesses

Birmingham
Basil
Blackwell’s Pub
Hop City
Jack Brown’s
Mellow Mushroom (5 Points)
Neighborhood Hops and Vine (Crestline)
Rojo
Saw’s Juke Joint
Side Bar
Slice
Spike’s

Tuscaloosa
Alcove
Buffalo Wild Wings
Buffalo Phil’s
Copper Top
Corks and Tops
Cypress Inn
Downtown Pub
Egan’s
Filling Station
Innisfree
The Levee
Loosa Brews
Mellow Mushroom
Rounders
Southern Ale House
Wilhagan’s