Thames gets hoppy for World Water Day beer campaign

A special edition beer launched by Thames Water and a top London craft brewery will raise money for Malawi as part of World Water Day.

‘HOPS2O’, a London pale ale made by Moncada Brewery, is one of 250 small batch beers released as part of the Brewgooder Global Gathering campaign to raise money for water projects in Africa.

It was named by Grant Edwards, a Thames Water training manager based in Swindon, after more than 300 competition entries by the water company’s employees, and will be on sale from Friday, March 20. All profits will help support more than 130 projects in Malawi, including well rehabilitations, new boreholes and sanitation systems.

Grant said: “Our beer needed a name that’s short and snappy – and that you could picture a punter in a pub asking for. It also needed a strong reference to our tap water and be understood by everyone, and I love that our label design gives a huge nod to the iconic River Thames.

“It’s great to be part of this worldwide campaign knowing all profits will be making a difference in Malawi. We’re also reminding those who are out enjoying a pint to stay hydrated by drinking a glass of our world class tap water.”

The packaging design for each collaborative beer has been inspired by the theme ‘water’ and designed by each individual brewery using Brewgooder’s two distinct colours – orange to represent beer and blue to represent water. The ‘HOPS2O’ design takes inspiration from the River Thames and will be available in pubs across London, in selected pubs further afield, including Reading’s Ale House and Brewdog, from Moncada’s Tap Room Bar in Dollis Hill and specialist bottle shops.

Nigel Tarn, Moncada Brewery manager, said: “I couldn’t think of a better brewing partner than Thames Water. Water is often overlooked as an ingredient in the brewing process, gaining less attention than the malt or hops, and yet it is paramount in developing the character and taste of the beer. We’re lucky here to have quality water in such abundance, when in countries such as Malawi fresh drinking water is dangerously unavailable.”

Every beer joining the Global Gathering, involving a total of 250 brewers from 173 cities in 24 countries, will be released simultaneously at participating venues to mark World Water Day. 

Alan Mahon, Brewgooder’s founder, said: “The Global Gathering shows what the craft beer community is capable of when we collaborate and use our shared passion to make a positive impact. To have 250 brewers from across the world get behind our mission is incredible. They will not only make people happy with their amazing, unique beers but also impact thousands of lives.

“There are far too many people in developing countries who have their ambitions, dreams and potential limited by lack of access to a safe source of water. By providing clean, accessible water, we can help kids grow up healthier, stay in school longer and build better lives.”

To find out more, visit www.brewgooder.com/gathering.