Chaos Brewing using special ale to raise funds for Ukrainian people

May 20—There's a new beer in town, and proceeds from its sale are going directly to the people of war-torn Ukraine.

Joplin's Chaos Brewing Co., 112 S. Main St., recently joined the "Brew for Ukraine" initiative, in which small breweries worldwide — from Australia to Nova Scotia — are brewing and selling Ukrainian-based beer recipes to help raise funds for those fighting for and fleeing from the Eastern European country.

"It's heartbreaking to see the devastation, destruction and atrocities that have been happening in Ukraine," Chaos co-owner Frank Ikerd said. "The resolve and courage of the Ukrainian people in defending their country has been amazing and hopefully will lead to an end to this invasion as quickly as possible."

He said they chose to brew a Belgian golden ale that's named after an insult against Russian President Vladimir Putin, the man who authorized the invasion Feb. 24.

"That (Putin) phrase originates from a song/chant by soccer fans that started after the Russians seized Crimea, and has become a slogan in support of Ukrainian sovereignty," Ikerd said.

The ale is one of several beer recipes published freely to the world by Pravda Brewery officials, which is based in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. Beer bottle logos were also published free.

"I saw an article after the invasion started that showed the beer bottles being used to make Molotov cocktails for citizens to use against the Russian army," Ikerd said. "I thought that was pretty amazing, and it embodies the feelings most people have regarding the invasion and about Putin.

"That's why I chose (the Putin brand) as our beer to brew for this fundraising effort, and the response from people when we tell them about the beer confirms that."

The Ukrainian beer became available to the public a little more than a week ago and sells for $6 a pint; he said it's a well-balanced, dry hopped golden ale with a citrus aroma and flavoring from German Saphir hops.

"We brewed 3.5 barrels of the beer ... and we may brew it again if the demand is there and we can continue to raise money for Ukraine," Ikerd said. "It's been our top-selling beer since it's been on tap. Part of that is probably because it's a new beer on tap for us ... and because of the novelty of the beer name and the story behind it. People see ... the off-color translation, and it generally gets a laugh."

The brewing industry, he said, "has been very supportive of this fundraising effort and have offered discounts on grains, hops and yeast used for the beers brewed to allow for breweries to maximize their fundraising efforts. We received some coasters that tell the story of the Brew for Ukraine effort and has a QR code that can be used to make additional donations."

Proceeds from the sale of this beer will be donated to the Brew for Ukraine-selected charities to provide aid for the people of Ukraine.

"Being a part of Brew for Ukraine allows us to extend that to a place that desperately needs help right now," Ikerd said. "My son-in-law's family is from Ukraine, so I have a personal connection to what is going on there. Joining this fundraising effort to make a positive impact for the Ukrainian people is very important to me personally."