DropZone Brewery, founded and run by a group of veterans to produce high-quality beer, has been officially launched.
Photograph: Dropzone Brewery
Initially launching with an easy-to-drink lager, dubbed Red On, the beer has been brewed with the same commitment and military precision the team had while serving Queen and country.
Aiming to enrich the community of current and former service people, DropZone is proud to be committing 20% of all profits to help veterans through its charity partners.
Sean Crawford, founder and chief executive, said: “Anyone that has served in the forces will have experienced sitting around in the dirt, in the middle of nowhere, with too much time on their hands. That’s exactly what a couple of us were doing in Kenya some years ago.
“Baking in the sun, talk quickly turned to the taste of cold beer and how much we were looking forward to getting our hands on one. This wasn’t an idea born from the heat of battle, this idea stemmed from idle chatter.
“Like all good servicemen, we didn’t stop until we had achieved our goal, and within hours we were living the dream and we clinked a cold one. A few beers later we agreed that while there are good beers and there are bad beers, it’s the situation you’re in and how hard you’ve worked to earn your beer that matters most.
‘Every beer tells a story’
“This was a big part of why we wanted to create a beer for veterans, to remember the good and bad beers of the past, and the hard-earned memories attached to them. Every beer tells a story, we want ours to create a few of its own.”
Former British Army officer, Major General Jonathan Shaw, who has given DropZone Brewery his backing, said: “There’s something about Service life that creates a thirst. Hot and sweaty deserts, arid air bases, locked below decks, too much time in the middle of nowhere with no beer. It’s a cold beer that marks the transition to relaxation and normality.
“It’s the deprivations and hardships of Service life that create the lasting bonds that few if any other walk of life can match, and it’s over a beer that these bonds are cemented once the hardship is over. This is why beer has this exalted status for veterans.”
• DropZone Brewery will also be launching its own brand of coffee and merchandise. For more information, visit www.dropzonebrewery.co.uk
