Headlands Brewing Company Unveils New West Coast IPA To Benefit Bay Area Parks

View this post on Instagram

Supporting your local parks never tasted so refreshing. In perfect timing to the 50th anniversary of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the award-winning local beer masterminds of Headlands Brewing Company are commemorating this milestone, along with all of their adoration for Bay Area's nature, with their new IPA series.

Named their West Coast IPA, this seasonal specialty offers four exclusive varieties that precisely capture the essences and personality of our parks and nature, but that's not all. For every four-pack sold, Headlands Brewing will donate $1 towards the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, supporting their tremendous efforts in not only preserving the beauty of our vibrant ecosystem, but also their community of visitors new and returning.

Headlands has been a consistent supporter and lover of our local parks and the education, culture, and people behind them, having also raised money for the East Bay Regional Park District in the past. Also an active member of 1% for the Planet, the Lafayette-based company takes committed pride making our planet more sustainable and habitable, using their prowess in crafting impeccable beverages as the impactful medium.

We had the brilliant chance to personally chat with Headlands Brewing Company all on about this new collaboration with the GGNPC, what the partnership signifies, and just how integral their love for nature ties into their company's genuine identity and altruistic mission.

See also: The Bay Area's Most Scenic Trails For Hikers Of All Skill Levels

View this post on Instagram

Hello, thank you for taking the time to chat! How did this collaboration come about and how significant is it for both Headlands and the National Parks Conservancy?

Headlands Brewing takes inspiration from our parks and over the years has supported a number of environmental and outdoor adventure / athletic causes. In January 2021 Headlands formalized this commitment when it joined 1% For The Planet, committing to donate at least 1% of all revenue to environmental causes. 2022 marks the 50^th anniversary of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, so Headlands reached out with a proposal to curate a series of beers in collaboration with the Golden Gate Parks Conservancy.

All the can labels feature proprietary artwork from the Parks Conservancy, and the ultimate goal is to produce an ongoing series of beers that both supports the Parks Conservancy financially, but also provides a canvass in retailers throughout the Bay Area that recognizes and supports the beauty and importance of our parks.

View this post on Instagram

Apart from the gorgeous designs of the cans displaying original artwork from the Parks Conservancy, how does the flavor and creation of the Golden Gate West Coast IPA reflect the culture and essence of the San Francisco Bay Area?

“West Coast IPA” is a classic IPA style pioneered and refined by innovative northern California breweries such as Anchor, Sierra Nevada and Russian River. The beers are crystal clear, highly aromatic, and characterized by firm lingering bitterness balanced against a moderate body. Headlands Brewing continues that culture of innovation with the Golden Gate series, commencing with Golden Gate West Coast IPA.

In 2022 the brewery was upgraded with equipment specifically designed to produce IPAs that maximize the aroma, flavor and body dynamics while still having an approachable alcohol content of ~6.5%. And through trial and iteration and refinement in their pilot brewery in Lafayette, Headlands is able to develop a unique blends of malts and hops that deliver classical West Coast IPAs with flavor and aroma characteristics you’ll be hard-pressed to find in other IPAs.

Why is it important to support the Parks Conservancy, and what are every day ways we can do so?

The Golden Gate Parks Conservancy is dedicated to preserving some of the places we love the most – from Alcatraz to Muir Woods to Stinson Beach to the Presidio to Point Bonita, and many spots in between – more than 80,000 acres in total! In 2022 the nation’s newest national park space, Presidio Tunnel Tops, opened, and it would not have done so without the support and work of so many, including the Parks Conservancy team.

We can donate, through the purchase of products such as Headlands Golden Gate IPA, or directly to the Parks Conservancy. We can volunteer our time to help restore and preserve the parks – check out parksconservancy.org.

And the most important thing we can do is to visit and cherish our parks – surf, hike, ride, sail – just get out and make the most of the most special areas in our special home.

View this post on Instagram

What is next for Headlands Brewing Co.?

We are busy in Lafayette developing the next beers we will brew to support the Parks Conservancy, are continue to build the capabilities of our Pittsburg brewery to ensure we can sustainably brew amazing beers at scale, and are in the early stages of design for our second taproom – to open in Walnut Creek in late 2023.

Lastly, we'd love to know, where are some of the Headland's staff's favorite parks/nature spots?

Tilden Park- running and hiking with the dog in the early hours on the weekends has become a tradition. Ocean Beach- rugged and beautiful coastline, cold waves, and looking back across the Marin Headlands and Golden Gate bridge – not much more “Northern California” than that! Mt Diablo State Park- for a challenging day hike, sunset at Lafayette Ridge Trail in Briones Regional Park, and Muir Woods for reflection.

Also Crissy Field – throwing a stick with the dog and looking over towards Marin and back to San Francisco, and Golden Gate park for riding bikes or roller skating, early mornings on Baker Beach with the family (with a stop for Arsicault croissants on the way), and Joaquin Miller Park for hiking +proximity to my house.

Thank you so much for your thoughtful answers and we can't wait to see what's next from the geniuses of Headlands Brewing!

View this post on Instagram

The Headlands Brewing Taproom is located at 3420 Mt Diablo Blvd., Suite A, in Lafayette, CA, and you can learn more about the partnership and activities here. You can also use the Golden Gate West Coast IPA Beer Finder to locate a retailer near you that sells their delicious creation.

Cheers to our parks and undying devotion of both their natural beauty to us, and our appreciation for them!

See also: 7 Beautifully Scenic & Exhilarating Bike Routes In San Francisco

This interview has been edited and condensed.