2020 has been a tumultuous year, one of sickness, sacrifice, political unrest and upended dreams. One day after listening to what seemed like an endless list of depressing headlines about the strife and division, Michael Crane couldn’t get to sleep.
“It occurred to me that now more than ever we need to come together to do what we can to ‘repair the world,’” says the co-founder of Crane Brewing Company based in Raytown, Mo.
On that sleepless night, Crane, who is Jewish, recalled the Hebrew term “Tikkun Olam.” At its most basic, the phrase means “repair the world.” But it also has a deeper meaning that refers to working for social justice and a time of peace, prosperity, health and justice for all.
Eager to do something positive, Crane decided he wanted to create a beer that represented the spirit of reconciliation, but first, he consulted a local rabbi to make sure that naming a beer Tikkun Olam would resonate in a positive way: “I’d drink that beer,” replied the rabbi.
Crane Brewing is releasing Tikkun Olam in the spirit of helping to repair the stresses and strains that have been amplified by the pandemic. The result is a New England Style IPA brewed with Strawberry, Passionfruit, Mango, Pomegranate, Peach and Vanilla. The fruit flavors are enhanced by the addition of lactose sugar.
“The beer features vastly different, complex ingredients, but the final beer is going to be unique and delicious,” says Chris Meyers, Crane Brewing Company co-founder.
Tikkun Olam is a Crane Cares beer, which means a portion of the sales will be donated to Harmony Project KC, a non-profit organization that helps put instruments in the hands of children in grades K-12, helping them to come together and learn the joys of making orchestral music, an endeavor that requires teamwork to arrive at something that is bigger and more beautiful than the sum of its parts.
“For the past five years, music has uplifted our community through the students at Harmony Project KC,” says Harmony Project KC Northeast Community Center Development Director Kyla Pitts-Zevin. “The healing power of music has been that much more critical in 2020. One of our students shared: ‘Music is one of the few steady things I can count on right now.’ Through Crane’s generosity, children will continue to be positively transformed by music during and beyond this pandemic. The social justice root of Tikkun Olam — repairing the world — is a shared value of Crane and Harmony Project KC.”
For more information about Crane Brewing Company, Crane Cares, the brewery’s entire beer lineup, taproom hours and special events, visit http://cranebrewing.com.
