Another collaboration last summer was with Mr. Bentley, the Instagram famous English bulldog with a few hundred thousand followers. Mr. Bent - ley’s “dad” is a helicopter pilot in the Vancouver area andMr. Bentley is known for riding shotgun in the helicopter. “We did Mr. Bentley’s Cucumber Sour and partial proceeds from every four-pack purchase was donated back to the Children’s Wish Foundation. We raised just over $5,000 for them,” said Darbyshire. Russell Brewing is the official beer sponsor of the local Surrey Eagles Hockey team for the 2019- 2020 season and pours craft lager and pale ale at home games. “Since we’ve been here since 1995, we really try to work with the City of Surrey and give back whenever we can within our commu- nity and be that community leader. We’ve spon - sored the Surrey Eagles hockey team this year. We donate all of the beer to them and all their sales go back into the team.” Longevity is part of what makes Russell Brewing unique. “We have been around for 25 years. A lot of breweries have come and gone in that period of time. Being part of the old club, one of the original breweries, carries some clout within the industry. We’ve definitely built a lot of great long-lasting relationships within the industry. Whether that be within the government liquor stores, restaurants, pubs, or private liquor stores, it’s very beneficial to the brand- especially when fighting for shelf space.” “In this day and age, it’s very much about relation - ships. Having that 25-year history and a history of success helps,” concluded Darbyshire.
Russell Brewing frequently collaborates with other breweries on small batches and hopes to do even more once the tasting room is open. Partnerships with non-profits are also an import - ant part of the community-minded focus and the brewery took on two big fundraising initiatives in 2019. The brewery partnered with a non-profit called ‘Mind the Bar,’ a mental health resource in British Columbia specifically catered to those in the hospitality industry suffering from depres- sion, anxiety, workplace harassment or suicidal thought. The service offers free therapy sessions and instant assistance through a free download- ed app. “We created a low ABV beer with partial proceeds from each can sold going back to the cause. We raised just under $7,000 for them. That’s something that we were very passion - ate about, and possibly in the future, we’ll do another beer with them. We’re just working on some other low ABV options.”
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JUNE 2020 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • JUNE 2020
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