Prancing Pony raises funds, community spirit after fires with global Resilience beer effort

Adelaide Hills Prancing Pony Brewery will today raise a toast to the resilience of local communities impacted by the recent bushfires – joining four other breweries in SA and more than 200 interstate and overseas beer-makers in a stellar fundraising effort.

Prancing Pony owners Corinna and Frank Samson have a beer with Frank Regan at the Prancing Pony Brewery. Picture: Kelly Barnes

Adelaide Hills brewery Prancing Pony is one of five South Australian and more than 200 interstate and overseas craft beer makers who have united to make and sell a ‘Resilience’ pale ale to raise money to support communities devastated by the recent bushfires.

“It is an absolutely amazing effort by our industry around the world to pledge around $850,000 for those impacted by the fires,” Corinna Steeb, founder of Prancing Pony, told The Advertiser.

“More breweries from overseas than from Australia are on the list and it shows the global support that our industry enjoys and the compassion to help Australians in times of need.”

Prancing Pony has made 18 kegs of the beer, or about 1000 litres, which will also be available at other venues and pubs.

The beer will be on tap at the Totness facility, with a special happy hour on Monday from 4pm to 6pm for patrons.

The brewery has pledged net profit from the sales to the CFS Foundation SA and Wild Life Rescue.

Early orders have been received from Stanley Bridge Tavern at Verdun and The Guardsman at the Adelaide Railway Station.

Prancing Pony owners Corinna and Frank Samson have a beer with Frank Regan, Littlehampton brigade captain at the Prancing Pony brewery at Totness. Photo by Kelly Barnes.

The other SA breweries that are part of the Resilience Beer effort are Pirate Life, Pikes Beer, Moana Brewing and Magic Hour Beer.

“It’s amazing to think that more than 200 breweries all have the same recipe of pale ale right now in their tanks and in a few days, we will all pour the same beer in so many different locations,” Ms Steeb said.

Littlehamption Fire Brigade captain Frank Regan said he was touched by the efforts to bring relief to devastated communities.

The Resilience Beer effort first came about after the devastating Camp Fire in California in late 2018 and was led by the Sierra Nevada brewery, founded by Ken Grossman.

About 1400 US brewers came together then to make and sell the Resilience beer to help local communities.

Mr Grossman contacted Australia’s Independent Brewers Association to undertake a similar effort for Australia.

Ms Steeb is the sole South Australian director of IBA.