Beer had ceased pouring at restaurants and bars during the government-mandated shutdown, and that means beer kegs have been sitting in walk-in coolers and growing stale. In response, Sycamore Brewing has launched an unprecedented solution: a “Freshness” campaign. The concept is simple: Sycamore will deliver brand new kegs to their distributor partners and then reclaim the less-than-fresh kegs, completely free of charge.

In early May, Sycamore started reaching out to its distributors to arrange the swaps.

It’s a bold and costly move, but since its inception, Sycamore has touted extremely fresh beer and now they’re putting their money where their mouth is. While the Covid-19 pandemic has greatly depressed sales across the entire beer industry, Sycamore will stay true to their mission to always deliver the freshest beer to their customers. No matter what.

Though beer has a shelf-life that outlasts produce and dairy, it’s undeniably best when it’s fresh. “Those bright citrus, tropical, and fruity hop notes sought after in IPAs fade away over time,” says Brad Bergman, Sycamore’s Brewing Director. “The beer, in general, starts to lack brightness.”

“Sycamore is incurring a deep five-figure expense to provide these fresh keg swaps; however, it is the only move we believe stays true to our brand and ethos. It’s worth it to us,” says Sycamore co-founder Justin Brigham. “We’ve always promised our drinkers that Sycamore beer is super fresh, and we damn sure intend to keep that promise now, in a big way.”

Sycamore intends to partner with local distilleries to convert the unused beer into hand-sanitizer and a small batch spirit intended for barrel aging.

Fresh beer has already begun to be swapped, so as beer lovers finally return to their favorite local hangouts across the Carolinas, Virginia, and Georgia, they can rest assured that the Sycamore beer in their glass is fresh from the brewhouse. Cheers to better times ahead!