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'York City Six' brew special IPA to benefits veterans

The York Dispatch - 6/16/2019

Jun. 16--York City's six breweries -- self-dubbed the "York City Six" -- came together Saturday to unveil their latest creation for a good cause.

One dollar from each pint of the new IPA sold will go to York County Veterans Outreach.

Jesse De Salvo, owner of Crystal Ball Brewing Co., had worked with the nonprofit on a fundraiser during one of the city's First Friday celebrations, so he reached out about making it the second ever recipient of the group's collaboration fundraiser.

Collusion Tap Works owner Jared Barnes is also a veteran of the Navy, so it was a great fit for the team.

At 1 p.m. Saturday, the six brewers gathered at Collusion Tap Works, 105 S. Howard St., for a joint tapping of the sophomore collaboration, a hazy India Pale Ale with a mango twist.

Collusion, Liquid Hero Brewery and Mudhook, Crystal Ball, Gift Horse and Old Forge brewing companies teamed up last year to dedicate "York City Six Volume I" to the York City Police Department.

Police Chief Troy Bankert was on hand Saturday to accept a $1,200 check from the brewers' first effort, released in November, which he said would help support training the department could not afford in the current budget.

One hundred percent of this year's proceeds will help local veterans, as the veterans' outreach is volunteer-based, with no overhead or offices, said Kevin Eck, president of the organization.

Eck said the nonprofit supports veterans directly and also aids state and local government organizations that connect them with needed services.

It's a huge need in York County, which has more than 30,000 veterans and surviving spouses, he said.

Corey Wolfe, a former employee of Mudhook, helped bring the "York City Six" together about 14 months ago.

"People are asking us all the time if we're competing," so establishing an official partnership was a great way to show the community their collaboration, he said.

For each new brew, they will choose a different York County-based nonprofit, and they hope to do a quarterly release -- if timing allows.

"Imagine herding cats that are six different brewery owners with six different schedules," he joked.

Barnes said volume two of the collaboration took about 20 minutes to an hour to come up with, in a day talking beer and business. It was brewed at Collusion Tap House.

"For me it was fun this time, 'cause I didn't have to brew it," said Liquid Hero co-owner Joshua Hoke, who brewed volume one in November.

He and Gift Horse co-owner Jason Synder both said working together also provided a great opportunity to learn from each of the brewers.

Gift Horse brewer Josh Jacobs added that getting together and giving back to something they love makes it a win-win.

The releases will be seven-barrel batches, with one keg for each brewery.

Their first creation sold out in under a month, so the local brewers made it their goal to finish the first keg of the new brew at the kick-off event, Wolfe said.

The rest of the volume two kegs they hope to finish in under two weeks.

"It's fantastic!" said Cassandra Storm, of Hellam Township, tasting the beer.

She and her husband, Bob Reilly, who is on the board for the veterans' outreach, came with Storm's college friend Mike Strong so they could support the cause.

"Loving beer is an added-on extra," Strong said.

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