DANGEROUS ALES UKRAINIAN IMPERIAL STOUT
Glass bottles are gone, but much of the stigma around mental health remains. Share this beer with a mate and together let’s make positive convo’s as common as cans!
Origin – Milton, New South Wales
ABV – 9.0%
Size – 440mL can
Style – Stout
‘Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall’, spouts the smiling Ronald Reagan action figure in the former leader's voice. At the touch of a button on its back, the 30cm action figure dressed in a dark suit and tie chosen by Nancy plays recordings of 11 of Reagan's most famous quotes. If only Vladimir Putin had heeded the same advice as Mikhail Gorbachev, whose cooperation and mutual disarmament with the then US president likely averted World War III. Instead, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has abruptly transformed the world. A new Iron Curtain is grinding into place, with a mounting refugee crisis and the risk of unthinkable escalation.
With the humanitarian situation in Ukraine increasingly grave, the global craft beer industry has come together to support those impacted. It’s news that should come as no surprise, given breweries the world over have always given big in times of need, whether that be providing water to victims of natural disasters or raising money to aid the hungry. Frequently putting on community kegs to help local charities, including one recent fundraiser directed towards flood relief for those impacted in Northern NSW, when Dangerous Ale saw the opportunity to be a force for good, they didn't hesitate.
As the temperatures drop, typically, Damien Martin and the team would be creating a Russian imperial stout; this year's release is instead this Ukrainian Imperial Stout. One dollar from every 440mL sold goes to the United Nations Population Fund, working with women and children impacted by the war. The choice of charity was chosen in part for personal reasons. 'As a kid, I spent some time growing up in a women's refuge after my mum fled dad,' shared Damo. ‘I wanted to help kids who have no choice either.’ Though at 9% ABV, this one’s not for the kiddies! Black as you like, the thick mouthfeel possesses a touch of creamy silkiness. Bitter chocolate, rich coffee, and full-on roasted grain dominate the flavours, while a welcome warmth rises as the aroma dissipates, soon engulfing the body.
'For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power,' recently declared wartime president Joe Biden. Perhaps if he pulls it off, in years to come, we'll be raising another of these Ukrainian Imperials to a plastic talking Joe!
