CNBNews

AUDUBON, NJ (June 21, 2023)(CNBNews)--– The Phandemic Brew, a collaborative beer release created by the Phandemic Brew, Red White and Brew Beer Co., and Greg LaFata of Brotherly Life Philly, will officially tap on Thursday, June 22nd at Donkeys Place in Camden, NJ. The beer will also be available at The Mile in Runnemede, and on July 1st prior to the Philadelphia Phillies game against the Washington Nationals.

Described by head brewer, Nic Martino, as a “bright, crisp, and easy drinking lager with a pleasant woody and floral hop aroma,” the Phandemic Brew is a beer made by the fans, for the fans. Specifically, by the Phandemic Krew, a Phillies fan group that got its start during the pandemic and has continued to thrive inside of the ballpark in the years since.

“When we started talking about what we wanted the beer to be like, we knew it had to be something light, the kind of beer you would want to sip at a tailgate in 100-degree weather, in the parking lot outside of the stadium, in the middle of the height of baseball season in July,” notes Brett MacMinn, co- founder of the Phandemic Krew. “We also wanted it to be lasting and sustainable, something both beer connoisseurs and casuals could look forward to every summer.”

And because as Martino says, “few things go better together than baseball and beer,” the Phandemic Brew, officially named as a “tailgate lager,” was created.

“For me, this beer is a celebration of my personal love of baseball but also the concept that baseball can bring people together just like the Phandemic Krew did during a tough time in the world and a really weird time for the sport,” he adds.

With no baseball games to attend in 2020 due to Covid-19, MacMinn and Alvarado decided to stand outside of Citizens Bank Park and take in the Phillies in the best way they knew how. Soon, the two lifelong fans were joined by others, some bringing airhorns, ladders, and binoculars just to catch a glimpse of the batter’s eye and revel in the chance to experience even a small taste of their beloved Phillies.

“I always knew I wanted to start a fan group but I wasn’t sure exactly how to go about doing it,” says Alvarado. “And when the pandemic happened and everyone was missing baseball, it just happened so naturally. The Krew, and specifically our spot behind Ashburn Alley, became a space for all fans who wanted to enjoy baseball despite not being able to be in the stands.”

Before long, the group began to catch local and national attention, truly coming to prominence during an ESPN Sunday Night Baseball telecast against the New York Yankees. During that game, Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone complained that airhorns could be heard outside of the stadium, distracting his pitchers. That was the game when many fans first learned about the Krew gathering outside of the stadium, including LaFata, a native of Reading, PA.

“I grew up in Reading so much of my baseball-going experience was to those games and following the players in the minor leagues as they worked their way up through the majors,” notes LaFata. A self- proclaimed 4-for-4 (and now 5-for-5) sports fan growing up, LaFata had left his job at Amazon shortly before the pandemic, wanting to focus more on his art.

In December 2019, LaFata launched his website and social media channels to share his takes on sports in a unique way. “I wanted my art to capture how I was feeling so whether that was after a bad loss or a

great win, I had the freedom to express through my cartoons and comics, the life of a Philadelphia sports fan.”

LaFata began following the Krew on social media and soon, a relationship was struck. MacMinn and Alvarado invited LaFata and his dad to experience a Phillies game with the Krew once fans were allowed back inside the ballpark in 2021. As a thank you, LaFata designed a print celebrating the many unique personalities of the group. That print served as the inspiration when two years later, LaFata was one of several local artists contacted about the opportunity to design a label of the Phandemic Brew can.

“When you look at beers on the shelf in a store, you don’t really see too many with that backyard baseball, cartoony, eye-catching feel,” notes MacMinn. “And that’s what we wanted, something that would stand out and be like an album cover, where you would recognize the beer based on the look and style of the design, and something that would make you stop and look compared to other similar beers.”

Given little parameters, full creative freedom, and a simple directive of “just show us something,” LaFata’s design captures the essence of who the Phandemic Krew is. Scattered within the sea of baseball fans, meant to represent specific and generic members of the group, are little Easter eggs including an arm made to look like a wolf in homage to the Wolf Pack, various signs held by Krew members since the group’s inception, a Phanatic-inspired hop, and more. And as for the beer’s ABV of 4.2 percent? Another intentional nod to baseball fans.

“Jackie Robinson is a personal hero of mine and so important to baseball fans in general,” says Alvarado. “Each of us have stories on how what he did for baseball impacts our own love and understanding of the game we know it as today. So, when Nic came to us with the idea to make the beer 4.2 percent, it was a no brainer to celebrate Jackie, his retired number, and all of the contributions he made to baseball as well as culturally and societally, in his Hall of Fame career.”

The Phandemic Brew will be available starting June 22nd in the taproom of Red White and Brew as well as at Donkey’s Place and The Mile. The beer will be a seasonal release, scheduled to come out every summer, just in time for fans to enjoy it while tailgating in the sports complex or sitting at home watching the game. The ultimate goal is for fans to be able to enjoy the beer while sitting in Section 301.

“More than anything we want people to know that the Krew is for everybody,” says MacMinn. “We say ‘it’s always fun in 301,’ but it’s also a place for people who go to games by themselves or just want to meet other friendly, welcoming, fans. And if one day those fans can sit in 301 and drink a beer inspired by them, that would be an amazing way for us to continue what we started by creating a legacy for current and future members of the Phandemic Krew.”