MOOSEHEAD AND MOONSHINE CREEK COME TOGETHER TO SHOW THEIR ‘COMMUNITY SPIRIT’

[Saint John, NB] - Moosehead Breweries and Moonshine Creek Distillery have announced a one-of-a-kind collaboration. Pre-sale begins Wednesday, July 15, for Community Spirit, a rye lager virgin oak barrel aged whisky inspired by the work the two New Brunswick companies did together to produce hand sanitizer at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As COVID-19 started to make its way into Canada in mid-March, Moonshine Creek wanted to support efforts to keep the community safe by producing hand sanitizer - but the family-run small business didn’t have the ingredients required to produce significant quantities. Moosehead had the same goal, but lacked product with the high alcohol content required to make hand sanitizer. And so the companies came together and throughout the early weeks of the pandemic, Moosehead shipped a total of 24,000 litres of beer to the distillery to be used in the production of sanitizer. 

Once the sanitizer production was complete, the companies saw an opportunity for further collaboration. They decided to craft a unique whisky by blending the workable materials, known as heads and tails, of the distilled Moosehead Lager into the second distillation run of a rye spirit, which was then blended with maple tree water. ​ ​ 

While the spirit itself is currently in a three-year aging process, 500 certificates for bottles of the whisky will be made available for sale on Wednesday July 15, at 9:00 a.m. ADT at moonshinecreek.ca. 

Certificates are $100 each, and 100% of proceeds from every sale will be donated to New Brunswick Food Banks - a $50,000 donation, assuming all certificates are claimed. Consumers from anywhere in Canada can make the purchase and will be able to redeem their individual certificate for their 750ml finished bottle in June 2023.

“As a family-owned and operated business, all of us at Moosehead are so proud to have partnered with Moonshine Creek - not only on our first-ever craft spirit collaboration, but also on the project that started it all: the development and distribution of hand sanitizer for our community,” said Andrew Oland, President, Moosehead Breweries. “And we’re proud that this project will continue to give back to that same community, by supporting food banks across New Brunswick.”

“This unique collaboration really demonstrates just how much we can accomplish when we come together,” said Jeremiah Clark, Co-Owner, Moonshine Creek. “Community Spirit was born out of a literal sense of community spirit and we hope that in three years, when Canadians open and enjoy the finished whisky, they’ll remember how Canadians worked together in a time of crisis to better us all.” 

For more information on Community Spirit, or to purchase one of 500 limited-edition certificates, visit: www.moonshinecreek.ca. 

About Moonshine Creek

Moonshine Creek was founded by brothers Joshua and Jeremiah Clark, who were inspired by the stories of their grandfather, a bootlegger, and by Barry J. Grant’s book When Rum Was King, about the rich history of alcohol smuggling in New Brunswick during periods of prohibition. Like their forefathers, the brothers saw a clear opportunity to create a business in the rural area where they grew up - Waterville, NB. Moonshine Creek is known for their Moonshine Creek Canadiana, made from 100% organic maple syrup, fermented and blended using only the bio-water of maple trees from Saint-Quintin, NB, the Maple Syrup Capital of Canada. 

About Moosehead Breweries

Moosehead Breweries is Canada’s oldest independent brewer. Founded in 1867, the same year as Canada, the brewery is owned and operated by the sixth generation of the Oland family.

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