There are plenty of positive things to appreciate about San Diego’s brewing community. Ales and lagers take the spotlight, but perhaps even more impactful and important is when breweries’ reach goes beyond taps, bottles and cans, and increases the quality of life for people in need. It’s something that happens with great regularity in our county. The first instance of such brewery humanitarian efforts will take place Thursday when 32 North Brewing Company (8655 Production Avenue, Miramar) releases a special beer called “Julia’s Grand Cru”.
This dark Belgian-style ale will go on-sale in 32 North’s tasting room on January 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. Its Candi-sugar sweetness matches that of the individual that proceeds from sales of this beer will benefit: Julia Davidson. In June of 2015, little Julia (then just six years old) was diagnosed with Stage IV Neuroblastoma. This particularly aggressive form of cancer attacked her bone-marrow and compressed her spine, but after a year-and-a-half filled with multiple rounds of chemotherapy and trips to specialists around the country, she is in remission. This is a wonderful outcome, but the extensive treatment steps undertaken to beat this disease were costly to say the least. This is where 32 North is so graciously coming into the picture.
Head brewer Nick Ceniceros and brewer Jeff Swem got together to develop the recipe for Julia’s Grand Cru. In their words, it’s “a special beer for a special girl,” and proceeds from sales at the event as well as kegs sold to accounts will go straight to the Davidson family. Additionally, the food offered at the beer-release will be sold in exchange for donations. It’s a heartfelt undertaking marked by a hearty beer benefiting a strong, brave, resilient girl with immeasurable heart.