by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
COBDEN — Whitewater Brewing Company is partnering with Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command in creating Legion Lager, a five percent alcoholic beverage with five percent of nationwide sales h sale going to programs to help veterans.
Owners Chris Thompson (High Tower) and Chris Thompson, good friends but no relation, opened the Whitewater Brewing Company in Foresters Falls in 2011. Last year, they opened the Lakeside Brew Pub and Brewery in Cobden.
High Tower said nine months they ago started talking with staff from Royal Canadian Legion Dominion Command in Ottawa about releasing a co-branded beer named Legion Lager. If agreeable, five percent of nationwide sales would be donated back to the Command for veterans’ programs across Canada, he added.
“It was just one of those pseudo-random events,” he said. “We were talking with people who knew some of the gentlemen at the command and said they might be potentially interested in doing something like this.
“We reached out to them, because it’s something we’re interested in doing,” he added. “It’s really important to support the organizations that support veterans’ programs.”
The lager will only be available in Ontario initially, and then go Canada wide, said Mr. Thompson. It can be found in grocery stores, beer stores, LCBO, restaurants and Legions – but only if they want to sell it, he added.
The Legion logo and Poppy, along with Whitewater Brewing logo and name, are both on the can so it is easily recognizable it’s a joint effort, and it states that five percent of sales go towards veterans’ programs.
“This is not a commercial scheme,” Mr. Thompson said. “It’s our way of helping veterans. It’s a chance for us to generate some additional funds going to the veterans’ programs.”
He noted there will be some negativity towards this joint venture, however, the “spirit and goal of this is to help support veterans and their families.”
Gene Phillion, president of Royal Canadian Legion Cobden Branch 550, agreed, but said people come into the Legion for a drink, so they can support a local business and veterans by drinking the Legion Lager.
The lager will be launched on Friday, April 28.
Mr. Thompson explained that a lager takes about two more weeks than beer to make. A different yeast is used and lager is made at a colder temperature, which means the sugars take longer to convert to alcohol which provides a different flavour and attributes.
“Typically, lager can be stronger than beer, but lagers, for the most part, are more easy drinking … they usually have a clean, crisp flavour,” Mr. Thompson said.
Mr. Phillion admitted he was “caught off-guard” with this partnership.
“I saw it today on facebook and then Connie called me,” he said.
However, Mr. Phillion said this is a great idea and is hopeful the Cobden Legion will be the first Legion to serve it in Ontario.
Dominion President David Flannigan said, “We’re thrilled that Whitewater has partnered with the Legion to support Canada’s veterans by donating five percent of the brand’s sales to Legion programs. Those funds will help support programs to improve the lives of veterans and their families.”
Mr. Flannigan looks forward to seeing the branches, whose volunteers work so hard to generate revenue to run their local programs and services, embrace the new brand and the opportunities it will provide.
“Being able to serve our own Legion Lager, in a can or on tap at Legion branches, means we can offer our members and other patrons an added beverage choice when they stop in for a visit.”
