Wild Ontario-Royal City Brewing Community Collab beer sells out after only three weeks

Through a partnership this summer between Guelph-based Royal City Brewing Company and the College of Biological Science’s Wild Ontario, the equivalent of just over 2,000 tall cans of beer were sold, with 50 cents from each going to support environmental outreach education and student training. The Community Collab beer, a dry-hopped pale ale, sold out in only three weeks, Royal City’s fastest sell-out from a partnership of this kind.

At the beer’s launch party on June 16, Wild Ontario volunteers, accompanied by a bird team, including Einstein, a Great Horned Owl; Atwood, a Northern Saw-whet Owl; and Indiana, a Red-Tailed Hawk, gave presentations to an enthralled audience and helped visitors screen-print Wild Ontario t-shirts. The launch was one of Royal City’s busiest nights of the summer, with Wild Ontario supporters, including many from the college and the Department of Integrative Biology stopping by to show their support, along with current and former Wild Ontario volunteers.

A keg of the Community Collab beer was also available at the university’s Alumni Reunion Weekend and cans were also sold at the PISCeS environmental DNA conference, hosted by the college.

“We’ve been really impressed with the work that Royal City Brewing and the Bateman Group of Companies have done in Guelph and the broader community,” says Wild Ontario director Jenn Bock. “We had a lot of fun with this partnership and it was a great morale boost for everyone.  We’re truly humbled by such a wonderful demonstration of support!”

Royal City Brewing and Wild Ontario plan to expand their partnership. They’re hoping to offer another Community Collab beer next summer and Wild Ontario has also been invited to Royal City’s family-friendly Oktoberfest celebration on Oct. 1.

Royal City Brewing has partnered with other University of Guelph organizations in the past, including the Honey Bee Research Centre and Gryphon Athletics.