By Justin Cox, from The Woods taproom at Two Beers Brewing
Almost five years ago, SeaDoc Board Member Jess Newley connected SeaDoc Society with a local brewery in Seattle that had taken a strong interest in Southern Resident killer whale conservation after the summer 2018, when Tahlequah captured global attention by carrying her deceased baby for 17 days.
After a highly collaborative process, the beer was branded, the original can was designed, and Southern Resident Chinook Hop IPA was born—the proceeds of which would support killer whale science and conservation for years to come.
It’s with gratitude that today we announce the end of that era. Two Beers phased out production at end of 2023 and from here the company will shift its focus to Seattle Cider Company, their primary business. The taproom in Seattle and their team will remain, but the brewery–including Southern Resident–will sunset.
As I write this, sitting in The Woods taproom where Southern Resident is brewed, Two Beers has donated upward of $15,000 in support of the SeaDoc Society’s collaborative work to save Southern Residents.
Not to mention the story they’ve helped tell on thousands of boxes and cans sold throughout the Pacific Northwest over the last five years. In that initial creative design phase, their team was insistent that the whales’ story and SeaDoc’s mission be clear and prominent on the packaging.
And the use of Chinook hops is not just a creative marketing choice in reference to Southern Residents’ diet (although it is that, too!). Two Beers took extra steps to use Salmon Safe certified hopes in the brew and included a QR code with a direct link to a page on our website dedicated to killer whale conversation.
“It was initially going to be an in-and-out and for us,” said Director of Marketing Maura Hardman, meaning it would be a one-off seasonal offering. “But we saw how much it resonated with people so we kept going.”
Two Beers had worked with several nature-based nonprofits in the past, but nothing with a focus on the ocean until SeaDoc. Our science-based approach made us an ideal fit.
A few years in, they hired a designer named Christina Dean, who was tasked with redesigning the can. Dean dove headlong into the history and family dynamics of Southern Resident Killer Whales, watching episodes of Salish Sea Wild and learning about individual animals–including Ocean Sun, believed to be the oldest remaining Southern Resident and potentially the mother of Tokitae, who recently died in captivity in Florida.
Dean overhauled the design, from two small whales off in the distance to one prominent whale that could not be ignored.
“I wanted to break the whale out of the box,” said Dean, who modeled the art off of Ocean Sun. “I thought let’s represent this one because she’s been out there this whole time.”
The team put Seattle skyline in the background so has to tie our daily human lives to the fates of this endangered population of whales.
Thank you Two Beers for the years of support and all the best with Seattle Cider Company. See you at the taproom!