Durango, Colorado is a special town and very close to our heart. For the past several years we’ve been one of the many folks who make the trek to Durango every summer. Initially, our trips were all about the beer, but very quickly the visits grew into so much more. Now we visit Durango for the charm of the town itself. We love the buildings filled with history, the incredible beauty, the long list of recreational adventures we can have, and more. We love the awesome Durango businesses, the fun shops, restaurants, bars, and yes, of course, the great Durango breweries. Every trip to Durango is like a “choose your adventure” story, and we can’t get enough of it.
That’s why when the 416 fire broke out in the San Juan National Forest just a dozen or so miles from Durango, we felt so heartbroken. Durango feels like home to us, even if we do just visit once a year. The fire itself is tragic, but not hopeless. Progress is being made thanks to the hard work of firefighters and some long-overdue help from Mother Nature. However, they aren’t out of the woods yet. Help is needed as they continue to battle the fire and begin to focus on relief efforts.
That’s where we can all pitch in to help. Best of all, they’ve made it easy. All we need to do is drink a few beers to Save the San Juans this Saturday.
Save the San Juans Saturday
This Saturday, June 23, is Save The San Juans Saturday to support fire relief efforts for the 416 fire in Durango. Ska Brewing has organized this effort and breweries across the state are stepping up to give funds from their pint sales to Durango’s Community Emergency Relief Fund (CERF). The goal is to raise $500,000.
On Saturday, June 23, Ska Brewing will give $1 from every pint sold at their Durango taproom to CERF, but they are not fighting this good fight alone. More than 25 brewing companies, bars, and restaurants have joined the effort so far. Breweries who were quick to offer help include Odell Brewing, New Belgium Brewing, and Oskar Blues Brewing Company.
“Oskar Blues and SKA are cut from the same unconventional ColoRADo cloth and have built our breweries in places we love to play in the outdoors. Hell, you can’t spell oSKAr without SKA. We’re proud to help lead the charge in helping their community respond to the 416 fire with a week of fundraising at our taprooms,” says Chad Melis, Marketing Director for Oskar Blues Brewery.
Where You Can Drink Up & Give Back This Saturday
Below you can see how a few of these breweries are pitching in to help. Stop by and purchase a beer at one of these spots & support this awesome cause.
Ska Brewing Co: $1 from every pint sold in their Ska World HQ this weekend will go to the Community Emergency Relief Fund to help Ska’s neighbors affected by the 416 fire. In addition to the awesome Ska beers, Stone Brewing donated 4 kegs to be poured at Ska World HQ, and all proceeds from those beers will be donated to CERF.
Oskar Blues Brewery: $1 from every Oskar Blues pint sold at the Oskar Blues Brewery Longmont and the Oskar Blues Boulder taprooms from June 18 through June 23 will be donated to the Durango Emergency Relief Fund. In addition, all sales of CANundrum mixed 12-packs sold to go from the Boulder and Longmont taprooms will be donated as well.
Parry’s Pizza: Drink Ska’s Mexican Logger or Dogfish Head’s Flesh & Blood at any Parry’s Pizza locations this Saturday and 100% of sales will go to the Durango Community Relief Fund. All Parry’s locations have the beer, and 100% of the proceeds of these two beers will go directly to the Durango Community Relief Fund.
Odell Brewing: On Saturday, June 26, Odell Brewing will give $1 from every pint of Colorado Lager they sell from both their Fort Collins and RiNo Denver taprooms to this cause.
Freshcraft: Freshcraft will donate the proceeds of sales from Ska’s Mexican Logger and Dogfish Head’s Flesh & Blood. They’ll also have a donation bucket if you want to give directly to Save the San Juans Saturday.
Epic Brewing: Epic Brewing will donate $1 from each pint sold in their RiNo tasting room on Saturday to the cause.
Above is just a sampling of what Save the San Juans Saturday has to offer. A full list of participating breweries and their events can be found at radcraftbeer.com/savethesanjuanssaturday.
You Can Support the San Juans on Friday, Too
Why limit your good deed drinking to Saturday? Both Dry Dock Brewing Company and Ratio Beerworks will donate the proceeds from their Friday Firkins to fire relief on Friday, June 22. Dry Dock Brewing Company will be tapping a Pineapple Helles. We aren’t sure what Ratio is tapping just yet, but if we know one thing about Ratio Beerworks, we’re sure it will be delicious.
Photo Credit: Kira Quirk of Ska BrewingOther Ways To Support Durango
Drinking beer is clearly the easiest way to support Durango, but we have another suggestion that is just as fun, if not more fun…
Go to Durango. Maybe not today, but sometime soon plan a visit. Support their businesses in person. Chat about the craft beer you love with the folks who brew and serve it every day. Pay Durango a visit and help support their economy directly, as a tourist and a consumer. Durango’s economy relies on tourists, so don’t cancel your summer trip because you worry that the mountains may not be as picturesque once the smoke clears. Visit Durango, Silverton, and all the other little towns along your route. Spend your tourism dollars there this summer to help them rebuild and recover. As Mountain Town Magazine wants to remind you, Durango is still open for business. They would be happy to see you keep your plans to visit them this summer.
BMT ♥s Durango
Need a good reason to plan a trip? As of this moment, there are still tickets available to Ska Brewing’s 23rd Anniversary Party. This is the event that first brought us to Durango and we still head down for it every year. This is what made us fall in love with Durango, and it’s worth the trip to check it out. Tickets will sell out, so act fast. For more information or to purchase tickets visit skaturns23.brownpapertickets.com.
• Cheers, Y’all! •