KALAMAZOO, MI– The team at Final Gravity Brewing Company has brewed a batch of a new beer called Ukrainian Anti-Imperial Stout.
Kalamazoo Brewery has joined more than 250 breweries worldwide to raise money to help the Ukrainian people. The country has been at war with Russia since its February 24 invasion.
On Saturday, April 9, people can attend a Victory Beer fundraiser for Ukraine at the brewery at 246 N. Burdick and enjoy the new beer with food from more than half a dozen chefs from the community.
Related: Final Gravity brews beer for Ukraine fundraiser using the country’s beloved beets
Visitors to the event can enjoy everything from pampushki to borscht to babka, traditional rice pudding, perogies, and sausage and ice cream pretzels for dessert at the brewery.
The fundraiser begins at 12 p.m. As well as food and beer, there will be live music from 3pm to 9pm and Kalamazoo Sportswear will be on hand to print custom t-shirts. All of the musicians, as well as the chefs involved, donated their time to the cause.
Kevin Holman, General Manager of Final Gravity Brewing Company, has family in Ukraine.
“It was absolutely amazing. I just can’t really believe the response on every level,” Holman said of requests for food and bands. “I was just blown away by the response from everyone who was willing to come and put in their time.”
The new beer is made from roasted beets and adds a sweet aftertaste to the roasted, malty beverage.
A Ukrainian brewery, Pravda, switched from brewing beer to making Molotov cocktails to help defend the country. Holman was moved by this action.
He learned that the brewery had offered its recipes to breweries around the world. If a brewery were to use a recipe, they had to donate money to a Ukrainian cause. The recipes are part of Pravda’s “Victory Beer Series,” which consists of about five beers, Holman said.
Also on MLive:
Food Dance, a farm-to-table pioneer in Kalamazoo, prepares for the final dance
Kalamazoo Bakery is a leader in feeding Ukrainian refugees
Grand Rapids family selected to perform “We Sing for Ukraine” in national campaign