There were those who watched from afar. There were those, like us here in Winston-Salem, who felt a muted version of her fury.
Then there were those who were directly impacted by, and continue to deal with, one of the most damaging natural disasters to hit our state in decades. Long after the flood waters recede (as of Sunday there were still 9 NC rivers at major flood stage), long after the news crews pack up and leave, long after we have all turned our attention to other matters — those directly impacted, our NC neighbors, will be dealing with Florence’s aftermath. Governor Roy Cooper put it best — “Hurricane Florence has deeply wounded our state, wounds that will not fade soon as the flood waters finally recede.”
Like many of you, we’ve been thinking about how to best help communities affected by the hurricane. And how to best help is to do what we do best – brew beer.
Earlier this month, the same week Florence was barreling toward our coastline, we brewed our latest Craft Happiness Project IPA. It’s called Responder, and is dedicated to honoring the brave men and women in our community who are North Carolina’s first responders in times of crisis — like the aftermath of hurricanes.
For those of you who don’t know, Craft Happiness IPA Project was started in 2017 by Foothills as a way to bring attention to all manner of needs in our community, state and region. Each month we brew a different IPA, name it based on the particular need we’re focusing on, and give a portion of proceeds to an organization that services that need.
Rarely has Craft Happiness had an opportunity to have a bigger impact than now. So we’re throwing a Release/Relief Party at our tasting room for Responder IPA on Wednesday October 10th. Members of Winston-Salem Fire Department Station #2 will be here — partly to show off their ladder truck and partly for us to show how grateful we are for the work they do.
We’ll also have our regular weekly Foot Soldier Run Club at 6pm. For every mile run that day, Foothills will donate $1 to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund.
Running’s not your thing? That’s OK. Beer drinking can be your thing. Because we’ll also be donating $1 from every pint of Responder sold that day – at all three of our locations – to the same Relief Fund.
Can’t make it that day? That’s OK too — we’ll be giving a portion of total Responder IPA proceeds to hurricane relief at the end of the month as well. So stop by and have a pint anytime during the month of October.
Good Beer That Does Good. That’s the mission of Craft Happiness Project, through which Foothills has donated over $11,000 (to date) to more than a dozen local and regional charitable organizations. So come have a beer and make a difference for our neighbors, who will still be dealing with Florence’s aftermath for weeks and months to come.
Last year, in a nod to the culture that so richly defines our home city, we borrowed a few ingredients from our favorite Moravian cookie recipe – ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, to name a few – and created a 
2016 UPDATE: 
Foothills Brewing 
