Icarus Brewing, based in Lakewood, making a Ukranian brewery’s recipe and donating all proceeds to relief efforts.
As the owner and brewmaster at Icarus Brewing Co., Jason Goldstein knows better than anyone the power beer has to bring people together. So why not harness that power for a humanitarian cause?
“You can’t look at the news right now, see what’s going on in the world, and not immediately throw your entire heart into it,” Goldstein told NJ Advance Media.
That’s why Icarus Brewing Co. is collaborating with Pravda Brewery in Lviv, Ukraine, to create a local batch of one of its Ukrainian beers to be sold right here in New Jersey. The partnership came about when Pravda Brewery made a public address to international brewers during the second week of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, calling for them to “join the fight, and help us win this ugly war” the best way they know how — with beer.
Pravda Brewery has opened up its cask of recipes to brewers worldwide, inviting them to brew its award-winning beers in exchange for visibility and donations for ongoing relief efforts. According to the Pravda’s social media, the brewery has been collecting funds to support the needs of the Ukrainian army. As soon as he saw the announcement, Goldstein approached his team about participating in the collaboration.
“I said, ‘This is something I want to do, but we need to change our entire brew schedule to make this possible,’” Goldstein recalled. “But every single person jumped right on it anyway.”
Icarus Brewing Co. will be selling its own version of Pravda Brewery’s “Putin Huylo,” a dry hopped strong golden ale. The name of the beer mocks the Russian president.
The recipe will deviate slightly from the original because some of the beer’s ingredients are not available in the U.S., Goldstein said.
His team will begin the fermentation process this Friday, then the beer will need about three to four weeks to mature. Goldstein expects it will be ready to sell at his Lakewood brewery, and in some local restaurants, by the first or second week of April. All proceeds from sales of Putin Huylo will go toward Pravda Brewery’s ongoing fundraising efforts and World Central Kitchen, an organization providing meals to fleeing refugees.
“I hope this really just brings awareness to people and encourages them to help out. Whether it is by buying the beer or donating online, whatever it is. Hopefully it opens those eyes and opens those checkbooks,” Goldstein said.
You can follow Icarus Brewing Co. on Facebook and Instagram for updates about Putin Huylo and its availability.
In the meantime, most local organizations collecting donations for Ukraine say what they really need is money, due to the high cost of shipping supplies overseas. Donations can be made to reputable groups like the Ukrainian American Cultural Center of New Jersey in Whippany or Razom, a Ukrainian-American non-profit.
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Jackie Roman may be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @byJackieRoman.
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