Pearl Jam's Third Beer Collab Raises Money to Build a Skatepark

I'm a Pearl Jam fan. Sure, I kind of moved on after Yield, but I respect the fact that the band is still going strong thirty years after Ten. And not just making music, either. The rockers that famously took on Ticketmaster are still fighting for their favorite causes. On June 18, Pearl Jam will begin streaming unseen footage of their August 13, 2018 Missoula "Away Show" with proceeds supporting "organizations providing assistance to those facing hardships or experiencing homelessness."

And timed to that event, the Seattle rockers have also collaborated with Missoula's KettleHouse Brewing Company on a beer—MPS Pool Ale—with a portion of the proceeds going to one of the most '90s-sounding charities out there: a Jeff Ament-founded non-profit that "organizes and funds world class skateparks in rural and isolated communities for young people. "

"Super excited to collab with KettleHouse on the Montana Pool Ale for the Pearl Jam streaming event," Ament, who has served as Pearl Jam's bassist since the band's founding but was born and raised in Montana, said in the announcement. "KettleHouse has always been about music and community here in Missoula. All contributions go to the new skatepark being built in Superior, Montana, this fall. Grab a four-pack now!"

The beer is debuting today at KettleHouse's two taprooms: one in Bonner and one in Missoula. However, four-packs of 16-ounce cans and draft kegs will soon be available throughout Montana, eastern Washington, and northern Idaho—hopefully in time for the streaming event.

"We're honored to partner with a world-renowned rock band like Pearl Jam," Zach Nelson, KettleHouse's head brewer, stated. "The MPS Pool Ale is light, easy-drinking, and packed with citric notes of tangerine and lemon zest. It was made for enjoying with live music, and when drinkers stream the 2018 Pearl Jam Missoula show, we want them to feel like they are right there, beer in hand."

But how does an independent brewery hook up with one of the biggest rock bands in a generation? Through a solid network, of course. "Pearl Jam has some strong ties to Montana. Pearl Jam's manager, Tim Bierman, also once lived in Montana," Tiffany Lutke, KettleHouse's marketing manager, told me via email. "Bierman's friend, Charlie Beaton, who owns Big Dipper Ice Cream in Missoula, had recommended KettleHouse as a possible collaborative partner." A Zoom call later, and the collaboration was set.

As you might expect for a band that's now in their fourth decade, MPS Pool Ale isn't Pearl Jam's first collaboration beer. The Missoula "Away Show" was part of a series to complement a run of "Home Shows" Pearl Jam hosted in Seattle in 2018. Those gigs had an official beer—called The Home Shows—from Georgetown Brewing. And back in 2011, Delaware's Dogfish Head released Faithful Ale to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Pearl Jam's debut. Maybe that beer will get a re-release as Faithful Double Ale in 2031?