The Schuylkill River Heritage Area is pleased to announce its collaboration with Sly Fox Brewing Company, Pottstown, Pa., on the release of a new canned beer that benefits and celebrates the Schuylkill River Trail.
SRT Ale, due to hit local distributors in cans on Earth Day, is brewed specifically for craft beer fans who also love the outdoors of southeastern Pa. Sly Fox’s SRT Ale is a golden, delicious, hop-forward American Pale Ale, and at 4.7 percent alcohol by volume, it’s designed to be the perfect post-activity beer.
The latest Sly Fox beer is also a tribute to a beloved recreational resource. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of SRT Ale will be donated to improve and maintain the 130-mile Schuylkill River Trail that meanders near the brewery in Pottstown, Pa., as well as Sly Fox’s original Brewhouse & Eatery in Phoenixville, Pa. The beer’s launch will take place over several days as it journeys down the southeastern Pennsylvania trail from Pottsville to Philadelphia.
“Brewing a tribute beer to the crown jewel of regional recreation was a natural for us,” said Sly Fox Brewmaster, Brian O’Reilly. “The Schuylkill Watershed is vital to the work we do and Sly Fox is committed to supporting it.”
HIDDEN RIVER, PUBLIC TRAILThe Schuylkill River Trail and accompanying Water Trail are well-used recreational resources that follow the length of the beautiful Schuylkill River, whose name means “hidden” in Dutch. The Schuylkill was named 2014 Pennsylvania River of the Year by the Pennsylvania Organization for Watersheds and Rivers. Recreational usage on and along the river is growing exponentially as the surrounding population does, and consequently, more resources will be required to complete, protect and maintain the trail.
Starting in Pottsville, Pa. and winding through the Schuylkill Highlands to Philadelphia, the river was historically flanked by railroad lines that have since been converted to paved and gravel trails as part of the Greater Philadelphia’s Regional Trail Network. The Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area, managed by the non-profit Schuylkill River Greenway Association, works to promote and improve the entire Schuylkill River Trail and operates and maintains about 30 trail miles in Berks and Schuylkill Counties.
Not only is Sly Fox Brewing Company’s SRT Ale contributing to trail upkeep, but the beer is a tribute to every step, paddle and pedal on the trail.
“The Schuylkill River Heritage Area is pleased to enter into this partnership with the Sly Fox Brewing Company,” Kurt Zwikl, executive director of the Schuylkill River Heritage Area said. “The release of SRT Ale highlights the recreational value the trail brings to the communities along the river. Our thanks go out to the brewery for this recognition.”
The Schuylkill River National & State Heritage Area also hosts the Schuylkill River Sojourn, an annual 112-mile guided canoe/kayak trip on the Schuylkill River that begins in rural Schuylkill Haven, Pa., and ends seven days later in Philadelphia’s Boathouse Row. The Sojourn is a way to advocate and educate about the river’s importance, history and connection to the people who live and work along it. Inspired by the Sojourn, the ceremonial release of Sly Fox Brewing Company’s SRT Ale will make the journey, north to south, delivering news of the beer along the way.
SRT SPREEThe SRT Spree will follow a Sly Fox launch team over the course of four nights and five days as they trek from Pottsville to Philadelphia with a larger-than-life SRT Ale can, welcoming beer and trail lovers to join in along the way. The team will travel by kayaks, road bicycles, trail bikes, horseback, recumbent trikes and on foot to advance the giant can to the final destination. Each day the Spree will stop along the trail for an organized trail cleanup and recognition of a local beer purveyor that will introduce SRT Ale to the public. Area businesses and community organizations will be invited to join this movement as it draws awareness to the trail – and the ale.
“We hope this unique event creates a lot of buzz for SRT Ale,” adds Corey Reid, Sly Fox Beer Ambassador and member of the SRT Spree launch team, “but, more importantly, it will draw valuable attention to the trail and the river.”
On Earth Day, Wednesday, April 22, the SRT Spree will conclude at the Schuylkill Banks, Philadelphia’s newest riverfront park, for a final cleanup and launch celebration.
“SRT Ale is a special release for Sly Fox,” offers Todd Palmer, also a member of the launch team and creative director at Virtual Farm Creative, Sly Fox Brewing Company’s advertising agency. “The brewery is right off the trail, and we all use it and value it as a resource. We all love the outdoors and we all love beer. Every great adventure should end with a great beer!”
Beer lovers anticipating the release of SRT Ale are encouraged to join the journey or track the team’s progress online at www.slyfoxbeer.com/SRTSPREE.
About Sly Fox Brewing CompanySly Fox Brewing Company is a state-of-the-art regional craft production brewery with an adjoining tasting room in Pottstown, Pa., opened in 2012 to complement its 19-year-old brewpub in nearby Phoenixville, Pa. With current distribution in six states, including Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia, Sly Fox has continued to grow in popularity since its first brew in 1995.
About The Schuylkill River Heritage Area
The Schuylkill River National and State Heritage Area, managed by the non-profit Schuylkill River Greenway Association, uses conservation, education, recreation, cultural and historic preservation and tourism as tools for community revitalization and economic development. www.schuylkillriver.org
