(Denver, CO) – Wynkoop Brewing will release its second beer in cans this summer.
Wynkoop is set to bring Silverback Pale Ale to cans for the first time this June. This is one of two beers that the brewery makes under the Silverback name, the other being a Smoked Porter.
According to Wynkoop Spokesman, Marty Jones, “This will be a year-round, hand-canned beer. It’s an American-style, dry-hopped/hopbacked pale ale with crisp pale malt flavors, ample hops from start to finish, and a very sessionable ABV of around 5.2%. And a hearty but balanced 40 or so IBUs.”
Jones mentioned another ingredient in the beer as well- Grains of Paradise. That ingredient’s significance comes in its ties to the mountain gorillas of Africa.
Say what?
Traditionally, Wynkoop has donated 25% of proceeds from its two Silverback beers to the Mountain Gorilla Conservation Fund. Per the MGCF website, the group’s mission is “dedicated to the conservation and protection of the highly endangered Mountain Gorillas in Africa, their habitat, and working with the people around the National Parks.” With the work that the group has done over the last quarter-century, the population of the gorillas has tripled but still stands at just 700-800.
The group can use all the help that it can get and Wynkoop is answering the call. This time, the brewery plans to up the ante is aiming to donate a larger portion of Silverback Pale Ale profits, closer to 50%.
“The money has been crucial to the group, and it helped fund the construction of a new veterinary training facility in Uganda,” explains Jones. “We’re doing the beer to help MGCF founder Frank Keesling bring in more dough during these tough economic times. Non-profit funding for groups like his are hard to get these days.”
And about those grains of paradise? “It is an African spice that is a crucial part of the mountain gorilla diet. It aids in heart health for these majestic and highly endagered primates,” says Jones.
Look for Silverback Pale Ale cans around the Denver metro area in mid-June. The beer follows Wynkoop Rail Yard Ale which was introduced as Wynkoop’s first canned offering last year.