Fogbelt Brewing Co. and former San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Williams have turned a baseball nickname into a beer. The Hop Corner, a charity IPA named for the “hot corner” Williams played, launches Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Fogbelt’s Santa Rosa taproom, and every pint helps young ballplayers in Ukiah.
The money goes to Showing Up For Shannon’s Young Bucks and Young Does, a Ukiah-based nonprofit program that supports underserved youth through baseball and softball. Fogbelt is donating $1 for every pint of The Hop Corner sold, plus 5% of all package sales, according to The Press Democrat, which first reported the collaboration.
What’s in The Hop Corner
Williams told The Press Democrat he did not know much about beer going in. When Fogbelt asked what he wanted to brew, a pale ale and an IPA were both unfamiliar territory, so the brewing team walked him through the process. “I’m no expert, but at least I have some sense at this point,” he said.
The Press Democrat describes the result as a modern West Coast IPA hopped with Nelson, Simcoe and Alora, light in color with citrusy, tropical aromas. Santa Rosa radio station KSRO, crediting the Press Democrat report, calls it a West Coast-style charity IPA in one line and a “tropical, citrusy pale ale” in another. Neither outlet gives an ABV, and the Santa Rosa draft list on Fogbelt’s website did not yet show The Hop Corner when we checked on Nov. 11, so we are not guessing at one. If you want to read up on the hops before you pour, Nelson and Simcoe both have entries in our hop directory.
Cans came off Fogbelt’s line on Monday, Nov. 9, the paper reported. The Hop Corner is priced at $15.99 a four-pack of cans and $8 a pint on draft.
The Hop Corner release parties and meet-and-greets
Williams is scheduled to appear at three events, per The Press Democrat and KSRO:
- Wednesday, Nov. 11, 3 to 6 p.m.: Release party at the Fogbelt Taproom, 1305 Cleveland Ave., Santa Rosa, with a meet-and-greet, autograph signing and photos.
- Sunday, Nov. 15, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Meet-and-greet at Playbook at Graton Resort & Casino, 288 Golf Course Drive West, Rohnert Park, with samples of The Hop Corner.
- Wednesday, Nov. 18, 3 to 6 p.m.: Second launch party at Fogbelt Station, 410 Hudson St., Healdsburg.
Event times can shift, so check Fogbelt’s channels before you drive out.
Why Matt Williams picked a youth baseball cause
The Press Democrat lists Williams as a five-time All-Star who debuted with the Giants in 1987, spent nearly a decade in San Francisco, won four Gold Gloves and four Silver Sluggers and hit 378 career home runs. The Windsor resident sits on the board of Showing Up For Shannon and began coaching youth baseball and softball in March.
“It’s easy to write checks to people, but ultimately I want to pass along the knowledge I’ve gained over the last 40 years,” Williams told the paper. He described the Ukiah players as “road warriors,” because limited local resources mean young athletes often travel out of the area to compete, and said he hopes the money can help with uniforms and baseballs.
For Fogbelt, The Hop Corner fits a pattern. Director of sales Jake Croghan told The Press Democrat that “our local communities support craft breweries, so giving back to them is very important to us,” and the paper notes the brewery raised $18,000 for the Sonoma Parks Foundation at its second annual Golf Classic in Windsor in October. Fogbelt has also raised money for Save the Redwoods League, Stewards of the Coast and Redwoods, and the Humane Society of Sonoma County.
A Sonoma County beer with a ballpark name
Fogbelt was founded in Santa Rosa in 2013 and named for the foggy coastal strip where redwoods grow, according to the brewery. Santa Rosa is also home to Russian River Brewing, so the city’s beer scene is no stranger to West Coast hops. If the West Coast label is what draws you in, our West Coast pilsner explainer looks at how the regional tag shows up on more than IPAs.
The Hop Corner is a limited charity release, and neither outlet said how long it will be on tap or in stores. Our sensors suggest the hot corner is best approached with a pint in hand and a Sharpie for the autograph line.
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