Launched on March 3, one week after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine, a new campaign aims to use various means—including an open-source collaboration beer—to raise money for the Red Cross humanitarian relief effort there.
The #DrinkersforUkraine campaign is the cooperative effort of several people who work in brewing and write about it, led by Lana Svitankova, Ukraine’s first certified Cicerone and a spokesperson for the Varvar brewery in Kiev. The organizers also include the team at British beer magazine Ferment and Eoghan Walsh, a Brussels-based beer writer.
The campaign is multifaceted, with three ways to raise funds:
- an online auction of anything-goes donated items, such as brewery merch, rare beers, and unique services or experience
- a livestreamed fundraising show that will feature the stories of brewers in Ukraine
- a solidarity collaboration brew called Resist, a “Ukrainian anti-imperial stout”
The recipe, available on the campaign’s website, is open-source and highly adaptable. “The Resist recipe is not prescriptive,” the site says. “Brewers can adapt it to their needs and have creative license with the label design. All we want is for you to brew it!” The open-source recipe does include a “taste of Ukraine,” calling for an optional addition of roasted beetroot to evoke borscht.
Proceeds from sales of Resist should go to the Red Cross effort in Ukraine—or you can donate directly.
An explainer on the Resist solidarity brew is available here. More information about the campaign is available on the Drinkers for Ukraine website.