Backcountry Brewing to release POW Pale Ale at the end of November

Backcountry Brewing is teaming up with Protect Our Winters Canada (POW) again to raise money for the charitable organization.

According to a news release, Backcountry Brewing will release its Protect Our Winters Pale Ale on Nov. 30 and it will be available until February 2024. The specially designed can features art from well-known B.C. artist Chili Thom, who passed away in 2016.

“Chili was such a master at capturing the feeling of being out in nature and transferring it to his canvases,” said Ben Reeder, marketing director at Backcountry Brewing, in the release. “As we continue to see crazier and crazier weather events every year, it makes sense to raise funds in his name for a charity fighting to protect all those incredible natural environments Chili loved.”

The charitable organization, POW, advocates for policy solutions to climate change. This collaboration will be the fifth overall with the previous four collaborations raising about $52,000 in total for POW.

The pale ale will be available at the brewery with take-home options, in kegs and four-packs. Fifty cents from every pale ale sold in the brewery, $1 from every four-pack, and $50 from every keg will be donated to POW.

“Chili’s family and friends are absolutely pumped to be teaming with Backcountry again and building on the incredible support beer drinkers have shown this project the past four years,” said Feet Banks, Thom’s friend and co-executor of his estate, in the release. 

“Chili had many of the greatest days of his life out exploring the natural spaces we are so lucky to live amongst. He always hoped his art would inspire people to view nature as something with intrinsic value, and I know he’d be very pleased to know the proceeds from this year’s can are going to help protect the wild places he loved.”

The release notes the artwork on the can is titled “A River Runs Through It” and features “Chili trees,” Thom’s interpretation of trees covered in thick winter snow. Shirts, prints and stickers of the can are also available for purchase, some of which will also be donated to POW.