Back in September, we helped the Northern Monk team launch their very own grant scheme; the For the North Foundation, designed to offer £5,000 grants to projects in the North of the UK that are dedicated to supporting northern communities and the people within them. All proceeds for the Foundation are to be driven by events and dedicated product launches, the first of which has just been announced.
If someone had told me a year ago that I’d be hiking up the UK’s highest mountain to help Northern Monk brew a beer at the summit, I’d have definitely taken myself to the gym a lot sooner.
But, that’s the reality of how my first week in August went; an 8 hour drive up to the base of Ben Nevis with the wonderful Monks, with the aim of producing the UK’s highest altitude brew. While I was only tasked with making it halfway to Base Camp (phew), the brewing team headed to the peak in grueling conditions carrying 90KG of equipment for the duration of the climb.
The end result was an 11% ABV Barrel Aged Imperial Stout made from ingredients foraged from the mountain itself, including blaeberries and the famous ‘Dew of Ben Nevis’ water. Once carried down from the mountain, the brew spent 2 months ageing in a whisky barrel donated by the Ben Nevis Whisky Distillery in Fort William.
As limited editions, the first 10 bottles came with a price tag of £1,000 per bottle, making it the UK’s most expensive bottle of beer, too. We hosted an auction event at the Northern Monk Refectory in Manchester on Thursday 7th November for the first 10, alongside an exclusive screening of a 20-minute documentary of the climb. More than £7000 was raised on the night ensuring funding for the first For the North Foundation project.
We worked exclusively with LadBible on the initial content distribution, inviting one of their team along on the hike for a first-hand experience, and the chance to get a real understanding of what Northern Monk are all about.
As the video went live on the night of the auction, the whole Hatch team sat refreshing every few seconds, and watching as the views reached more than 600,000. Naturally, an abundance of national, regional and industry coverage followed, however the real victory is in seeing the first project recieve their £5,000 funding grant.
This campaign was a long time in the making, and was by far the most physically challenging project I’ve ever worked on. Yes, it is always brilliant to see coverage roll in and the client’s name in target media, but to know that you’re also contributing to positive changes in the community makes the hard work even more worthwhile.
To find out more about the Ben Nevis Brew project, or to speak to us about how we could support your brand, drop an email to hello@hatchpr.co.uk
