North Carolina Brewers Collaborate in Opposition to HB2

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North Carolina Brewers Collaborate in Opposition to HB2 All North Carolina-grown beer to raise money for NC-based LGBTQ charities

DURHAM, N.C. and HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (April 11, 2016) — Two North Carolina breweries are leading the charge in a unique response to North Carolina’s recent HB2: by brewing beer.

“We didn’t feel like HB2 represented us as businesses or as residents of North Carolina,” said Erik Lars Myers, Mystery Brewing Company CEO and Head Brewer, “We wanted to do something in response and making beer is what we do.”

The beer will be called “Don’t Be Mean to People, A Golden Rule Saison” and will be brewed at Ponysaurus Brewing Company in Durham, N.C. with North Carolina grown barley, wheat, and sorghum on April 16. It will be available for purchase in May.

100% of the profit from the sales of the beer will be donated to two North Carolina based charities, EqualityNC (http://equalitync.org/) and QORDS (http://qords.org/).

“We’re fortunate to be in a tight-knit and collaborative industry,” said Keil Jansen, Owner and Brewmaster at Ponysaurus Brewing Company, “We’ve gathered support from dozens of our fellow brewers, and we have the ability to make a significant social impact by working together for a greater good.”

“Together, we can show people another side of North Carolina,” added Myers.

So far, over 30 breweries and brewing industry businesses have pledged support, labor, or ingredients to the collaboration beer and the collaborators expect that number to grow.

In addition to profits from the sale of the beer, the brewers have launched a fundraising campaign via generosity.com allowing the community at large an opportunity to give to the cause, while receiving something in return for their generosity. The fundraising campaign can be found at http://bit.ly/ncgoldenrule

North Carolina’s craft beer industry is one of the fastest growing in the country and has created more than 10,000 jobs along with an annual economic impact of $1.2 billion, according to Brewers Association statistics. ###

About Mystery Brewing Company Erik Lars Myers opened Mystery Brewing Company in 2012 in the historic Eno River Mill in Hillsborough, North Carolina. The company prides itself on brewing a wide-range of seasonal-only beers. It has received national accolades and have won local, regional, and national awards. The beers are currently available state-wide in North Carolina and can be found in more than 300 bars, restaurants, and retail shops. For more info, visit www.mysterybrewing.com.

About Ponysaurus Brewing Company Ponysaurus Brewing Co. is a forward-thinking, backward-tasting brewery and taproom based in Durham, NC, creating beers that are meant to be savored, appreciated, contemplated, philosophized, studied, nuzzled, and mindfully guzzled. For more info, visit http://ponysaurusbrewing.com/.

About EqualityNC Equality NC is dedicated to securing equal rights and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) North Carolinians. For more info, visit equalitync.org

About QORDS QORDS (Queer Oriented Radical Days of Summer) is an organization that hosts overnight summer camps for queer and trans youth or youth of LGBTQ families, with special focus on youth in the South. For more info, visit qords.org

CONTACTS: Erik Lars Myers CEO/Head Brewer Mystery Brewing Company 919-697-8379; erik@mysterybrewing.com

Keil Jansen Owner/Brewmaster Ponysaurus Brewing Company 844-369-7669; keil@ponysaurusbrewing.com