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Libations and donations: 6 ways to drink and give back at North Tahoe

Kayla Anderson
Special to the Bonanza
Akita, who is half Siberian husky, collie mix and longtime Tahoe City resident, shows her support at a recent Tahoe Mountain Brewing Co.'s Hops for Huskies event.
Courtesy Kayla Anderson |

TAHOE-TRUCKEE — At Lake Tahoe-Truckee, libations and donations go hand in hand.

Check out below six different giving opportunities that a bevy of local and regional brewpubs and companies are putting on throughout the Incline-North Tahoe-Truckee region —and beyond:

Drink beer, save huskies, win prizes with Tahoe Husky Rescue



On a cool, clear December evening, a few dogs and people gathered at Truckee’s Tahoe Mountain Brewing Company Taproom, located on Industrial Way near the Pioneer Commerce Center, to help raise money for Tahoe Husky Rescue.

In an intimate setting with a pool table, cozy fire and bar snacks, people enjoyed craft beers all in the name of huskies. A dollar from every beer sold was donated to THR as attendees received raffle tickets to win prizes.



While dog-lovers enjoyed brews such as the limited release Blood Orange Saison, Hot Pants and Burgundy Muscat, people took home logo’d T-shirts, headbands, stuffed animals, ski lift tickets, and more.

“Hops for Huskies” meets on the first Friday of every month at the TMB taproom from 3-8 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.tahoehuskyrescue.org.

Help animal rescue groups with Rescued Wine Candles

Speaking of the Tahoe Husky Rescue, you may have inadvertently donated to them if you ever bought a mimosa at Squeeze In in Truckee.

Taking flat-bottomed wine bottles sourced from local casinos and restaurants, Rescued Wine Candles owners Craig and Amy Davies have re-purposed them into soy candles.

Using hand-poured, 100 percent all-natural soy wax infused with champagne, cabernet and other signature scents with cotton wicks, Craig Davies says that the “re-purposed wine bottle products give back to animal rescue groups and are inspired by wine.”

“We feel it is our collective responsibility to make the purest candles available,” he says. “These beliefs help us produce a quality, one of a kind product that gives back to animal rescue.”

The hand-finished soy candles are produced in small batches and sold at Riverside Studios (Truckee), Mountain Hardware (Truckee), The Potlatch (Incline Village) and at the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort’s Tahoe Provisions (Incline Village).

Two percent of every sale right off the top (about $6 per box of 24 candles) goes to area nonprofits, including the Humane Society of Truckee-Tahoe and other animal rescue groups. To order Rescued Wine Candles, visit http://www.rescuedwinecandles.com.

New West Distributing’s ‘Pouring for Paws’ coming Jan. 29

Based in Incline Village, the Wylie Animal Rescue Foundation (WARF) is a small group of volunteers who are dedicated to rescuing companion animals that are in danger of being euthanized due to the overcrowding of shelters.

In turn, New West Distributing at 325 Nugget Ave., No. 101, down in Sparks is hosting a “Pouring for Paws” night, with proceeds going toward WARF.

A $40 ticket gets you access to food, a drink, live music by Under the Radar, and silent auction to help WARF raise money to start its own sanctuary for companion dogs and cats.

“Pouring for Paws” is also hosting a mascot competition where attendees can enter their dog or cat for $10. For information, visit http://www.eventdaddy.net/sparks/pouring-for-paws-fundraiser.

Alibi Ale Works supports Pet Network, S.O.S. Outreach, Mt. Rose Avalanche Dogs

Although Alibi Ale Works in Incline Village launched a Dog Day IPA in the fall of 2016 with a portion of the proceeds going to the Incline Village Pet Network, Alibi is happily making small batches of craft beer and donating a piece of the sales to whatever charity happens to be on tap.

Currently, Alibi has the S.O.S. IPA on tap — a 6.5 percent ABV brew with a light, dry hoppy flavor that suits many different palettes.

“We had a winter kick-off party for S.O.S. Outreach to basically get funding to give underprivileged kids the opportunity to enjoy skiing, snowboarding, and just get outside,” says Alibi General Manager/Brand Ambassador Kristi Thompson.

Every purchase of an S.O.S. IPA throughout the month also gives folks the chance to win a pair of hand-crafted Praxis skis (made right up the street) to go along with the hand-crafted S.O.S. beer.

In addition to the raffle, Alibi is donating 50 cents for every S.O.S. IPA purchased back into the organization until the 30-barrel batch of brews run out.

After a winner is announced for the Praxis Skis, Alibi will launch its “Snow Dog” IPA, with proceeds going to the Mt. Rose Avalanche Dogs. Its kick-off party will be Jan. 20 with a dog kissing booth featuring Tremper, Bacchus and Kona.

The original IPA recipe is carried on with each charity, but given a different name.

“It has a light hoppy-ness flavor; it’s an approachable IPA,” says Thompson. “It is super drinkable with citrus notes. We feature a new beer every month that’s always an IPA because that’s our biggest seller and we want to raise as much money as we can for charity.”

‘Gimme Five’ for injured athletes with Auburn Alehouse

Not all drinking goes to dog-related causes at Lake Tahoe-Truckee. Through the end of the year, the alehouse down the hill in Auburn teamed up with the High Fives Foundation, based in Truckee, to offer a special American-style brown ale brewed to give back.

The “Gimme Five” features five malts and five hop additions including Chinook, Cascade, and Citra varieties.

Another way to give a high five at Incline Spirits & Cigars

Not only is this Incline Village liquor and cigar store a relaxing place to hang out or catch up with friends, by purchasing a cigar or two, you may be giving back to the community.

Owners Miles and Mayra Hendrickson regularly donate used cigar boxes to the High Fives Foundation and just contributed monetary proceeds from the Dec. 4 Jill Colbert artist reception to the cause.

The Hendricksons are great community ambassadors who you will always see pouring its brews at local fundraising events. On top of that, Incline Spirits & Cigars supports local artists by regularly showcasing their work and hosting monthly receptions with beer tastings and appetizers.

Kayla Anderson is an Incline Village-based freelance writer with a background in marketing and journalism. Email her at kaylaanderson1080@gmail.com.


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