BIDDEFORD, Maine — Banded Brewing Company in Biddeford released a new limited beer Thursday and will send a portion of the profits from its sale to a veterans' charity.
The beer is called "At Ease," an imperial stout with cinnamon and vanilla beans.
10 percent of the profits will go the Veterans Count Maine chapter. The charity provides financial assistance to veterans when no other resource are available.
The Black Ale Project coordinated the brewing of the beer. Former Marine Dave Pappas created the Black Ale Project to partner with breweries nationwide to create specialty beers to sell and send portions of profits to veterans' charities. "At Ease" is the 67th beer the project has helped coordinate, and the ninth in Maine (see the full list here).
"It means a lot to me personally as a veteran and someone who's passionate about helping veterans and I could not do it without the support of brewers and the craft beer community," said Pappas.
Banded Brewing founder Ian McConnell said many of his employees are veterans, and many of his families served in the military. He said this beer,and its name, was an important project.
"From veterans I've heard from, they want to hear 'at ease' whether it's at the end of an attention or the end of a day or something," said McConnell. "Hopefully the work we did this beer can ease people's problems to a small degree."
Veterans Count has offices throughout New England, and this past January alone distributed nearly $6,000 to Maine veterans for a variety of services.
Five more Maine breweries are already signed up to brew a beer for the Black Ale Project.