Kim Porter, the special events manager for the New York State Brewers Association, has long struggled with her body image.
But several years back, she made a change in how she handled it. Rather than envy other women, she would extend a simple act of kindness in the form of complimenting a total stranger once a day.
“It led to amazing conversations, and what I learned is how so many women struggle with body image issues,” Porter said. “It was like, ‘Oh my god, I’m not alone.’”
That idea snowballed into the concept for a collaboration between female brewers across the Rochester region and the Willow Domestic Violence Center of Greater Rochester.
The result was Raise Up, a new brew meant to send a message of positivity into the world while promoting the work of Willow, which provides shelter and resources to victims of domestic violence.
Collaborating on the concoction were Jen Newman, owner of Young Lion Brewing Company in Canandaigua, Nicki Forster of Strangebird, Marina Nothnagle of Nine Spot, Kristy Aldrich of Reinvention, and Audrey Iwankicki of Prison City Brewing, among others.
They gathered on Valentine’s Day at Young Lion to produce what became a 60-barrel batch of tangerine-laced cream ale packaged in a can whose label provides information on Willow and urges the drinker to “raise up women through words of encouragement and positivity.”
The can depicts colorful balloons displaying a variety of messages, such as, “You Are Strong,” “You Inspire,” and “You’re Unstoppable.”
“It brings (awareness of) domestic violence and relationship abuse into homes in a way we can talk about it,” said Meagan De Chateauvieux, president and executive director of Willow. “If I see that on the counter of a friend’s home, I’m going to know it’s a safe place to say, ‘Hey, this is going on in my relationship.’”
Raise Up had its official release at Young Lion on International Women’s Day, which was Wednesday, with a fundraiser for Willow.
State liquor law prohibits proceeds from sales of Raise Up to be donated to a nonprofit organization, but Newman said Young Lion would make a separate donation to the charity.
The beer itself is forward with citrus notes of sweet tangerine juxtaposed against a base of sweet malt that lingers on the palate in the way a good cream ale is meant to. Newman said she wanted the beer to be simple and approachable for people who both love and hate beer.
Porter said she hopes that the nudge on the can to offer words of encouragement will have a ripple effect.
“I hope all of my friends, and all of the women here, go out and compliment another woman,” Porter said. “I hope it catches on, and we can launch a movement of kindness.”
Gino Fanelli is a CITY staff writer. He can be reached at (585) 775-9692 or gino@rochester-citynews.com.
This article appears in Mar 1-31, 2023.
