John Klyce Minervini
Church Health Center’s Marvin Stockwell and Citizens to Preserve Overton Park’s Jessica Buttermore enjoy craft brews for a tasty cause.
I’ve heard it said that Memphis is the biggest small town in America. To judge from the beer, I think it might be true. This weekend, Memphis Made Brewing debuted two craft beers, each tied to a local event and an important cause.
The first is Rocket #9, an IPA that will be served over the weekend at Church Health Center’s 9th annual Rock For Love concert series. (click here to see the complete schedule)
Where flavor is concerned, Rocket #9 is understated and oaky. Made with Pacific Gem Hops from New Zealand, it’s a contemplative pale ale with notes from the forest floor. Perfect for a late-night conversation, or unwinding after a punk rock concert. Pezz, anyone?
John Klyce Minervini
Memphis Made’s Rocket #9 IPA will be served this weekend at Rock For Love.
The cause is even tastier. For 28 years, Church Health Center been providing low-cost health and wellness care for the working uninsured. Today, more than 60,000 people in Shelby County are counting on them.
“We’re helping this city get healthy and stay healthy,” says CHC communications director Marvin Stockwell. “And one of the ways we do that is by taking care of Memphis’s hardworking musicians.
“What an amazingly generous group of people,” he continues. “Not to mention, they make the best music in the world. I mean, come on. You can’t go wrong with that.”
This year, in addition to a badass music lineup, Rock For Love will feature a dunk tank, a comedy showcase, and a pop-up fitness park. So drink a beer already! It’s for charity.
The second craft brew is Memphis Made’s Greenswarden. It will be served this Saturday at Get Off Our Lawn’s Party for the Greensward, which features a great lineup of local bands.
Here’s the issue. The City of Memphis allows the zoo to put their overflow parking on the Greensward (the big field in Overton Park, the one by Rainbow Lake). They’ve been doing it for about 20 years. But Citizens to Preserve Overton Park (CPOP)—the group behind Get Off Our Lawn—say they’ve had about enough.
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John Klyce Minervini
Memphis Made’s ‘Greenswarden’ hefeweizen will be served at Saturday’s Party for the Greensward.
“It’s public land, and they’re making a profit off it. We think that’s wrong,” says CPOP president Jessica Buttermore. “They’re not planning for their parking needs. Instead, they’re dumping it on the city and the surrounding neighborhood.”
“Our mission is to protect the park,” she continues. “As public land, it should be free for us to use.”
As a hefeweizen, Greenswarden is slightly cloudy with a balanced, fruity flavor. Don’t laugh: at my tasting, we even thought we detected notes of bubblegum. Only we couldn’t decide which one. Bubblicious? Fruit stripe?
“I don’t know if I would go brand-specific,” cautions Memphis Made co-founder Andy Ashby. “I guess I don’t really chew enough gum to pin it down.”
As for Memphis Made, Ashby says brewing beers for important local causes is right in the brewery’s wheelhouse.
“We’re not like these big breweries,” Ashby says. “We can’t make it rain t-shirts and coozies. But one thing we can do is make a beer for a cause we believe in.”
John Klyce Minervini
Memphis Made Brewing co-founder Andy Ashby