Creature Comforts Brewing Company wrapped the 2019 season of its Get Comfortable Campaign on November 13, 2019. The year-round campaign generated $351,841 for its nine agency partners located in the Athens community. At the wrap event, the brewery also announced the 2020 beer collaboration will be with Allagash Brewing Company. The campaign will launch on February 5, 2020, and run throughout 2020.

With its belief that good companies are good citizens, Creature Comforts created Get Comfortable in 2015 with the goal of making serving simple for its customers and fellow businesses. The program works to align the business community to resource the agencies meeting the community’s most pressing needs. Through a rigorous vetting process as well as the direction of an advisory council of community stakeholders, the campaign selected nine organizations to spotlight and support throughout 2019.

“I recently heard it said that a community can be ‘program rich but system poor,’ meaning there may be a surplus of philanthropic solutions, but a lack of alignment—and therefore, uncertain results,” said Matt Stevens, Creature Comforts’ Vice President of Strategic Impact. “Get Comfortable endeavors to bring corporate philanthropy efforts into alignment—to concentrate and channel as many resources as possible into the programs the needs-assessment data suggest are meeting our greatest needs.

“Seldom do the public, private, and nonprofit sectors come together, compare notes, and execute a unified strategy. But we need one another: we need both the guidance of local leadership and generous businesses to propel social innovation,” Stevens said. “Now that we have a platform and a playbook that’s working here in Athens, we’re poised to expand the campaign in 2020 into new communities alongside new partners.”

In 2019, the program began partnering with another brewery to release a collaborative beer both to drive new awareness and generate additional funds for the annual campaign. During the 2019 Get Comfortable season, Creature Comforts partnered with Russian River Brewing Company to brew an IPA featuring Strata, Amarillo, Comet, and Pahto hops.

During the 2020 season, Creature Comforts will partner with Allagash Brewing Company. As a certified B Corporation who  gives back 1-percent of all its sales, Allagash is committed to its local community, making it a natural partner in the upcoming  Get Comfortable season. With the intent of leaning into Allagash’s expertise in brewing Belgian-style beers—as well as  highlighting a shared love of hops—the partners will collaborate to make a juicy, fruity Belgian IPA at 6.6-percent ABV.

The  beer will feature Topaz and Comet hops in addition to local wheat sourced from both breweries’ communities.  “We’re super excited to partner with a like-minded brewery in Creature Comforts—who puts a high priority on giving back  locally,” said Rob Tod, Allagash Brewing Co. Founder. “They’re spot on in their belief that by working together, we can make  an even greater impact. Cheers to using beer as a force for good.”

Get Comfortable 2020 will be a year-round campaign with a pronounced season of emphasis taking place February 5 through April 15, during which the brewery will donate 100-percent of its Wednesday taproom profits towards the Get Comfortable fund. Additionally, 100-percent of the profits from the collaboration beer sales and Get Comfortable merchandise will go back into the fund, as will proceeds from any related events. The brewery also works alongside local businesses to generate additional profits for the fund. The program will expand to partner with agencies in the Atlanta community in 2020.

Get Comfortable 2020 will kick off on February 5 in the Athens Tasting Room and on February 9 at Kimball House in Atlanta. Get Comfortable merchandise, as well as the Get Comfortable collaboration beer, will be available at the brewery for the kickoff.