For its latest seasonal release, Southern California’s Golden Road Brewing came up with a generously hopped and fruity beer dubbed the Get On Board Hazy IPA.
Brewed with real citrus and showcasing flavors of juicy orange, eureka lemon and subtle peach, it’s meant to pair well with the spring season.
But there is a lot more meaning behind this beer.
It has a deep personal connection to the brewery’s founder and was created in collaboration with members of the autistic community.
“This is the most special beer we’ve ever created,” said Golden Road founder Meg Gill, whose 4-year-old daughter was diagnosed with non-speaking autism and was the catalyst for this collaboration. “It brings together my first baby, the business, and my real first baby, and it gives back to a community that I feel has brought me the gift of communication with my daughter.”
The new beer will be released at the brewery’s Anaheim location on Tuesday, April 2, which is World Autism Awareness Day. It was created with the help of four non-speaking autistic individuals who use a letterboard method to point out letters and spell out words. They used this system to collaborate with brewers in the creation of the new beer, from hops to can.
“The four spellers created the beer recipe, style and the creation of the marketing,” Gill said.
The collaborators, who were nicknamed the Fab Four, are members of the nonprofit Speller’s Freedom Foundation, which helps non-speaking autistic people learn to communicate. They are also featured on an upcoming five-episode online series titled “Underestimated: The Heroic Rise of Nonspeaking Spellers.” The series will launch on underestimated.tv on Sunday, May 26 and episode 3 will feature the collaboration with Golden Road.
To create the new IPA, the Fab Four first took lessons on beer making and marketing from Golden Road brewers with the help of spelling therapists before selecting the beer style. The process took about six months, and yes, the Fab Four are all older than 21, so they can taste their creation.
“It’s floral, citrusy, happy deliciousness. And we’re very excited for the release,” Gill said.
“And they loved the beer,” she added, referring to the Fab Four, who will also be in attendance at the release party.
More importantly for Gill, the collaboration will bring attention to the non-speaking autistic community and all net proceeds of Get On Board Hazy IPA sales will benefit the Speller’s Freedom Foundation.
“Having a daughter who was diagnosed with non-speaking autism and getting connected with different ways of communication has been challenging, but also a bright light in our world,” Gill said. “The brewery hopefully can be a positive example to the community of how to truly be inclusive for people with disabilities as well.”
Golden Road Brewing is located at 2210 E. Orangewood Ave., Anaheim. The beer release party will take place from 5-7 p.m. on April 2. For more information, go to spellersfreedomfoundation.org or goldenroad.la.
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