Beer of the Week: Organic DDH West Coast IPA Collab

From the Beer Writer: From the Beer Writer: Beer styles and design motifs speak to a brewery’s identity. So, too, do the principles driving those businesses, and there are a host of them at play at Miramar’s Protector Brewery. Headquartered in the Miralani Makers District, it is San Diego County’s first and only USDA-certified organic brewing company. A great deal of work, hardship and expense have gone into earning and maintaining that certification, but such is the importance of environmentalism and sustainability to Protector’s owner, Sean Haggerty. So, he goes the extra mile, not just there but in other facets of his life and livelihood. A former Navy SEAL, he continues his service to the nation and its heroes as a civilian. In June, he invited former Green Beret sniper Tim Kennedy to share his stories with Protector patrons while promoting his book, Scars and Stripes: An Unapologetically American Story of Fighting the Taliban, UFC Warriors, and Myself. It was an inspirational evening that opened many eyes. And with Protector’s fifth anniversary coming up tomorrow, rather than keep the focus on his business, Haggerty has spent the time leading up to his big event setting up a fundraising component for Beyond the Teams, a group of former SEALs working together to make positive impacts in their communities. On top of that, he enlisted the help of his friends at Coronado Brewing to craft this week’s featured beer, which goes by the simple handle DDH West Coast IPA Collaboration. Brewed in honor of Veterans Day, it’s special, not only in that it is double-dry-hopped and available at both breweries’ tasting rooms, but because it’s the first of a two-part effort that will see both companies making a donation to the Navy SEAL Foundation, a non-profit organization supporting SEALs and their families through more than 30 essential programs. It would have been easier and more lucrative for Haggerty to have gone solo, brewing up an anniversary beer that surely would have sold out quickly and padded Protector’s bank account, but as he’s proven over his entire life, he’s a man of principle determined to make a difference. Cheers to that and this limited-edition charity beer.

From the Brewer: “Protector Brewery and Coronado Brewing have crafted a great beer for a great veteran charity organization. The Navy SEAL Foundation is one of the best veteran charity organizations in the United States and we’ll be donating to their cause this Veteran’s Day. We honor those who served our great nation with this powerhouse double dry-hopped West Coast IPA collaboration release. You can find it pouring at all three Coronado Brewing taprooms and Protector’s taproom on Friday November 11. Beyond that, you can also find four-packs of this limited release at Total Wine & More and Jimbo’s Naturally! locations in San Diego as well as our tasting room. And we encourage anyone who wants to support those who served by following the QR code below to donate directly to the Navy SEAL Foundation. Cheers to all who served and thank you for fighting for our freedom!”–Sean Haggerty, Owner, Protector Brewery