Iowa fans supporting Swarm Golden Ale
Iowa fans have always enjoyed a few beers. There are more than a few legendary stories over the years of Hawkeye fans drinking venues dry, including a few establishments in downtown Indianapolis prior to the 2015 Big Ten Title game.
When the Iowa Swarm Collective and Exile Brewing Company partnered up to launch Swarm Golden Ale, no one quite knew if it would be a hit with Hawkeye fans. Would they support a new beer that generates revenue for the collective?
“All of that depends on how much Hawkeye fans get behind the beer, you know. It all depends on Hawkeye nation, really,” Exile Brewing Company owner and co-founder R.J. Tursi said in a phone interview with On3’s Andy Wittry when the partnership was announced.
Exile had agreed to share 20% of the revenue from Swarm Gold Ale with the Iowa Swarm Collective.
One month in and the result suggest that Exile Brewing and the Iowa Swarm Collective have a hit on their hands.
“We’re really viewing that 20% revenue share as almost like a marketing expense because you know, we know that there are so many Hawkeye fans in the state of Iowa. We feel like if they know that the beer they are drinking is going to benefit the student-athletes at the University of Iowa that they’ll be loyal to it,” Tursi said when the partnership was announced.
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On Tuesday, Iowa Swarm Collective CEO Brad Heinrichs shared on the message boards at HawkeyeReport.com that the June donation number from Exile Brewing was $30,000. That is without production being fully operational. Can versions of Swarm Golden Ale first arrived in stores around the state of Iowa in early July, so the expectation is that the numbers will grow quite a bit this month.
The Swarm Golden Ale is also expected to be available for sale at Kinnick Stadium this fall, where it could become a big hit for Hawkeye fans who want to enjoy a beer and also support the players on the field.
“Something like this is the reason why we got into craft beer to begin with,” Tursi said. “It’s collaborative, and it’s innovative. It’s in support of something that we love.”
