Over the past half-decade, what started as one woman’s battle has grown to include the support of a diverse militia spanning from one side of this great country to the other. Green Flash Brewing Company co-founder and vice president of marketing, Lisa Hinkley, is a breast cancer survivor who is passionate about aiding others afflicted with this widespread disease and, with any luck, eradicating it from the face of the earth. Five years ago, she and her work colleagues banded together to debut a special beer called Treasure Chest to raise money for the local chapter of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. That succinct initial offering has sprouted numerous follow-up beers, a pair of large fundraising festivals and, most importantly, a great deal of support for breast cancer charities and sufferers.
Each year since the release of the first Treasure Chest (Brettanomyces-spiked Belgian-style pale ale that has since become an annual offering under the name Rayon Vert), Green Flash’s has upped its efforts to support Susan G. Komen, most notably where its Treasure Chest Fest. The beer festival is held at the company’s Mira Mesa facility, taking over everything from the outdoor beer garden to the brewery itself, but numerous local restaurants also show up to prepare dishes specifically paired with Green Flash specialty and one-off brews, including Treasure Chest, which changes each year. This year’s Treasure Chest Fest will take place August 29 and once again include guest chefs. The iteration of Treasure Chest that one of those culinarians will be pairing their food with will be a pink, 100% Mosaic-hopped IPA brewed with hibiscus flowers and the juice of prickly pears and grapefruits.
For the first year since the initial Treasure Chest came out, the beer will be bottled. Look for the IPA in 22-ounce bottles and on draft nationwide as well as the fest beside rare Green Flash beers and unique cask creations. Tickets for the event are available online. And on the 11th of October (Breast Cancer Awareness Month), Green Flash will hold its second annual Treasure Chest Fest on a parcel of land adjacent to its upcoming brewery in Virginia Beach, Virginia (scheduled to open 2016), proceeds from which will go to Susan G. Komen Tidewater.
Over the past five years, Green Flash’s Treasure Chest initiatives have raised more than $150,000. In addition to the beer release and festivals, the company will set up various events across the country (tap takeovers, beer dinners, etc.) to garner additional funds from September through November.