TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — Brewing for a good cause.
That’s the mission behind Afterburner Brewing Company’s special batch of a new double IPA they’ve named “Hoosier Mama”.
The beer benefits Pink Boots Society, an organization that focuses on advancing the careers and skillsets of women in the alcoholic beverage industry.
“They raise money for females in the distillation, wine, beer-making industry,” Afterburner owner and brewer Greg Hrovat explained. “They help get technical grants for on-the-job training or education.”
The “Hoosier Mama” beer, which Hrovat described as being tropical and full-bodied in flavor, also shares a name with an all-female Hoosier Aviation 2023 Air Classic Race team.
“We were looking for a team name and we actually determined that we wanted to be the Hoosier Mamas,” Catie Martin, a member of the air race team, said. “It was named after the beer that Afterburner has because we’re all really big fans.”
Hrovat said it was easy to partner with the team and that the men behind Afterburner are always interested in showing support for the women in their professional and personal lives.
“We have a lot of strong women in our lives that are kind of the foundation of who we are,” Hrovat said. “They’ve supported us to get this business where it is today.”
The Hoosier Mamas will have quite the journey ahead of them during the June race.
“We’ll begin our race in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and we’ll end in Homestead, Florida,” Martin said. “We have to stop at these nine airports in between. It’s over 2,500 nautical miles and we are pretty much racing against ourselves. We have to beat the fastest times of our airplane and try to make the perfect cross-country for ourselves.”
Martin said the race is empowering for the women involved and a great way to help Hoosier Aviation grow.
“I think it’s really exciting for all the female pilots out of our flight school as we begin to grow,” Martin said. “It’s a really good opportunity for all of us to get together and actually compete in the big race.”
Afterburner’s plan is to release the “Hoosier Mama” beer on March 31. More information can be found on the brewery’s social media and website closer to that date.
