ASHEVILLE, N.C. — On Sept. 12, Wicked Weed Brewing released a new beer honoring the LGBTQ community in Western North Carolina and sent a message of welcoming and inclusion to all, the Campaign for Southern Equality (CSE) reported. The beer, called Y’all Means Ale, will support CSE’s work toward “legal and lived equality” for all LGBTQ Southerners. The beer’s title riffs on “Y’all Means All,” a motto in CSE’s work across the South.
The new release is part of Wicked Weed’s Beers That Build series. One dollar from each pour of Y’all Means Ale will benefit the Campaign for Southern Equality. The release will also take center stage at Wicked Weed’s Pridetoberfest, which coincides with the Eleventh Annual Blue Ridge Pride Festival in Asheville, N.C. on Sept. 28. Crafted by one of Wicked Weed’s founders and brewer, Jessica Dickinson, the recipe for the beer consists of ingredients which represent a different color of the rainbow, universally recognized as a symbol of LGBTQ Pride, such as honey for the color yellow, rose hips for the color red and smoked plums for the color violet.
Wicked Weed’s Community Engagement Coordinator Rachel Dudasik said, “At Wicked Weed, we’ve always been proud to be a welcoming and inclusive space for all, including members of the LGBTQ community. That’s why we’re so excited this year to support the Campaign for Southern Equality and their deep commitments to equity and empathy through the release of Y’all Means Ale. This Pride season we are glad to be able to support a local organization whose work ripples far wider than our Asheville hometown and look forward to continuing this work throughout the year.”
Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, executive director of CSE, added, “Our team at the Campaign for Southern Equality had so much fun working with Wicked Weed’s team during the actual brewing process for Y’all Means Ale and saw firsthand the passion and spirit that went into crafting this beer. We’re so grateful for a Southern business like Wicked Weed that is leading with its values and tangibly supporting our work to build a South where all LGBTQ people can thrive. That means a South where youth are met with love when they come out, where transgender women of color are safe, and where we are all free to be who we are and love who we love.”