We all know that the Major League Baseball season officially opened earlier this month, however the crew at North Pier Brewing Company of Benton Harbor has slated an “Opening Day” that is a lot easier to get to, considerably less crowded, but every bit as much fun as a day at the old ballpark for several special reasons.
This Saturday, April 22nd at 5pm, North Pier Brewing will release a great new brew called 415AM — it’s their first ever, all-Michigan beer and they want you to be among the first to sample it and enjoy the night out.
415AM is the brainchild of North Pier’s first Bid United Auction winners, an online auction hosted by United Way of Southwest Michigan back in December. Since the auction closed, the winners, made up of aspiring brewers, have met with Jay Fettig and North Piers’ team to not only come up with the ingredients, but also to brew the beer, and then set a release date.
They’ve even created a Facebook event page for this grand affair and you can see that let your friends know you’re going by clicking the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1861748990769926/
So, you may be wondering about the unique name for this new brew called 415AM. While the “AM” can stand for “All Michigan”, it more importantly stands for “Alex Mandarino” with the “415” symbolizing his date of birth. Sadly, as many who know his story are aware, in 2013, 5-year-old Alex passed away after a 3-year battle with Neuroblastoma, a rare form of childhood cancer. On opening day, North Pier will be donating $1 from every 415AM sold to the Alex Mandarino Foundation, an organization that fights against neuroblastoma and other pediatric cancers.
As owner of North Pier Brewing, Jay Fettig says, “The United Way of Southwest Michigan auction winners have created a really great beer that we look forward to sharing with the public on April 22nd.” He tells us, “The whole night will really remind people of being at the ballpark. And giving back to an organization like The Alex Mandarino Foundation makes it even more special.”
The event is open to the public this Saturday, and 415AM will be served beginning at 5pm. Hot dogs will be sold and 415AM beer glasses and t-shirts will be for sale as well (although they will be in limited supply only).
The space will be decorated with a baseball theme, so baseball attire is encouraged.
415AM is an all-Michigan IPA. North Pier used Michigan grains from Pilot Malt House, Michigan hops from Hop Head Farms, and a Michigan Wit strain from Craft Cultures Yeast Labs, LLC.
For more information on the Alex Mandarino Foundation you can click this link:
