Should one ever doubt the power of social media, all they need do is reference the maelstrom of mixed-support, outrage, wonderment and disbelief that erupted when Jonathan Buford, the owner of Arizona Wilderness Brewing Company, posted photo of his and Mike Hess Brewing Company’s personnel huddled in MHB’s North Park brewery, along with the announcement that the two businesses would be merging. This will not be happening.
Mike Hess Sales Manager Greg Hess confirmed this morning that Buford’s post and his subsequent share on his personal page, were meant to merely get beer fans’ attention. With that accomplished, the duo and their respective breweries will go about publicizing something very close to their collective hearts, raising money for the Wounded Warrior Project. Their method for doing so, the carrot-like enticer that is the almighty mullet.
Arizona Wilderness Brewing (AWB) has set up a crowdfunding campaign page on crowdrise.com. The mission is simple—if the campaign is funded to the $5,000 mark by the time Arizona Wilderness Brewing celebrates its two-year anniversary on September 4, Greg Hess and the “beards” at AZB will don mullets. AZB will also match the donation to up the total going to Wounded Warrior to $10,000.
The photo that set the Interwebs on fire was taken during a collaborative brew day when Mike Hess Brewing and AWB crafted a Berliner weisse called My Other Vice, which will be on tap during the anniversary celebration in Gilbert. So, no earth-shattering news to report…but we’ll take heart-warming over hysteria-inducing any day.