Onward & Upward
If you’ve visited our Westbrook tasting room, you’ve likely met Cole Mangano. With his quick wit, compassionate nature, and experienced mind for service, Cole has made a huge impact since he joined our team almost two years ago. When he started spreading word of a project he’d been thinking up, it was impossible to ignore the infectious energy behind it.
Cole’s idea was to celebrate the LGBTQ+ Community with a beer designed to enjoy during PRIDE 2022. Built into the concept was a giving back component that would help secure basic human rights for all people. With lots of enthusiasm and creativity, Cole got everyone on board with his plan and we got to work deciding on the details.
On a high level, we knew we wanted the beer to be refreshing and bold. PRIDE to us means lots of great vibes, positive connections, and festivity - whatever we come up with had to be the perfect companion. “Easy drinking with a twist” was the original pitch for our production team, and after some reflection on recipes like Slightly Raddled and Luminosity, we decided that a session beer featuring a fruit addition was the way to go.
By the time the brew day came, we had a vision: kölsch. Everyone on our team loves to drink it, and it was the perfect foundation for a burst of brightness. Lime was chosen as the star of the show, and we were off. As the shepherd of the recipe, Cole joined our brewers at our Westbrook production facility to get the beer in the tanks.
For the giving back component of the project, we decided to make a donation to the Human Rights Campaign. Their mission resonates deeply with us: a world where every member of the LGBTQ+ family has the freedom to live their truth without fear, and with equality under the law.
The final step was the name of the beer, and in the true spirit of his positivity, Cole proposed Onward & Upward. A forward thinking name for a beer with a vision. It’s was a proud and exciting experience to see this beer come rolling off the canning line and into the tasting room coolers. We're incredibly lucky to have such driven and creative folks across our company, and to see Cole's inspiration embodied in a beer is a joy.
