For More Information Contact:
Joe Harwood, 541-685-7471
Eugene Water & Electric Board

May 3, 2011

Ninkasi, McKenzie River Trust and EWEB collaborate on new ale

A partnership among Ninkasi Brewing, the McKenzie River Trust and the Eugene Water & Electric Board will celebrate the utility’s century of service to the community while supporting the protection of Western Oregon rivers with the introduction of Conservation Ale.

The product of the partnership, a Belgian-style golden ale produced by Eugene-based Ninkasi, is now available at select retail stores and a handful of Eugene-area watering holes.

All profits from the sale of Conservation Ale will go to the McKenzie River Trust to help with its mission to protect Eugene’s sole source of drinking water, the McKenzie River, as well as other Western Oregon rivers.

"It's good beer, for a good cause, and I'm pretty sure it's going to go fast," EWEB Public Affairs Manager Lance Robertson said.

EWEB first approached Ninkasi in early 2011 about the possibility of collaborating on a beer to celebrate the utility 100th year of operation on March 11. Ninkasi officials liked the idea and took it a step further – suggesting that proceeds go to protect the McKenzie River, Eugene’s sole source of drinking water and the primary component of Ninkasi’s award-winning craft brews.

“We are elated to be able to help the community in ways involving beer,” said Ninkasi Marketing Director James Book. “What’s not to love about celebrating EWEB’s 100 years of service while simultaneously helping to protect the water supply for all – the symbiosis is as natural as the water itself.”

The nonprofit McKenzie River Trust, a local land conservation group, was formed in 1989 to protect fish and wildlife habitat, scenic lands and clean water in the McKenzie Basin. It has since expanded to protect lands with high conservation values in the Siuslaw, Long Tom, Willamette and Umpqua watersheds.

“Clean water is fundamental to the long-term prosperity of any region,” said MRT Executive Director Joe Moll. “We're fortunate in Eugene to have the McKenzie River as a water source, to have EWEB's progressive management of that resource, and to have creative businesses like Ninkasi that add such value to a product and to the community. “

The circular logo developed for Conservation Ale by Ninkasi illustrates the interdependency between EWEB, Ninkasi and the Trust: EWEB provides the water, Ninkasi produces the beer, the beer promotes the partnership, and McKenzie River Trust protects the watershed.

Ninkasi promotes the McKenzie River on its homepage, and the owners note that water quality was one of the decisive reasons for locating in Eugene five years ago.

Additional contacts:
Ninkasi: James Book, marketing director, 541-206-3858
MRT: Brandi Ferguson, development manager, 541-345-2799