Breweries are often known for adopting causes by creating a special beer to help support an organization, and Working Draft is putting in the same work to help support Willy Street.
Working Draft co-owner Ben Feifarek released I (heart emoji) Willy Street Autumn IPA Thursday at I/O Arcade. It will be available in cans and on tap in other locations soon. Each dollar of a four-pack sold, or the equivalent on draft, will be shared between Social Justice Center and Williamson-Marquette Business Association.
The initiative was taken because of the “hard few months” Williamson Street’s community has faced. In July, Corey Ruiz was shot and killed by a Madison Police officer there, leading to an occupation of the street.
“The protest that sprung up in response to the shooting was energetic, chaotic, brought some together, allowed others to start healing and so many other things,” Feifarek said in a statement. “It also showed us that there are communities in Madison that we are not doing enough to help, including people dealing with mental illness and the unhoused.”
Feifarek said after the street was blocked to traffic for two weeks, the neighborhood has been trying to find a sense of normalcy.
“We’re still having conversations about police reform; about how we can help the vulnerable and those on the margins; about how the local businesses can stay afloat and bring people back to our vibrant, eclectic neighborhood,” he said.
And while those solutions and initiatives may take a long time and a lot of effort, brewing a beer seemed like a way to offer support now. The beer brings attention to what happened and to what is still ongoing, with beer often a way to connect people.
“We wanted to make a beer that reminds people that the Willy Street neighborhood is still the fun, funky and lively place we’ve always been,” Feifarek said.
The Williamson-Marquette Business Association was chosen as one of the recipients of money donated because it supports locally owned businesses in the Willy Street community.
“Many businesses in the neighborhood have seen a dip in sales since the shooting and have either not recovered to where sales were before and/or are still in a hole from the lost sales immediately after the event,” Feifarek said.
The Social Justice Center was chosen as “it provides space and support for community organizations working towards social justice and the common good, including helping vulnerable people, such as people who are unhoused or those that deal with mental illness.”
As far as the IPA goes, the amber-colored beer should appeal to hop heads. It leans more traditional with its malty backbone presenting notes of caramel and bread, and the hops like Sultana and Strata impart resinous pine, tropical fruit like pineapple and an herbal note.
“We hope that this project does one or both of a couple things: We hope it makes people think about some of these issues — police reform, helping those on the margins, etc. We also hope that it makes people come and visit and support some of their favorite Willy Street businesses,” Feifarek said.
He knows it is just a “drop in the bucket, but it’s what we thought we could do.”
The Working Draft website also includes a list of links where people can donate to organizations that provide social services and more.
