A good beer: Finnegans celebrates 15 years of feeding the hungry

In the purchase and subsequent consumption of what’s playfully dubbed “Irish Holy Water,” fans of Finnegans beer are feeding the hungry in Minnesota, which has included clients of Catholic Charities in the past.

Since its beginning 15 years ago, the Minneapolis-based beer company has centered its business model on the common good, contributing 100 percent of its profits to alleviate hunger.

Finnegans’ formula is simple: It starts with “good beer” found at local restaurants, bars and liquor stores, and puts that profit into the Finnegans Community Fund, which buys fresh produce from local farms. In turn, Finnegans donates the fresh produce to food shelves to be distributed to people in need. Paying for the produce at market-rate, Finnegans provides farmers with an income and people in need with healthy food.

“I know that in the last decade, we’ve seen the number of people going to food shelves double,” said Finnegans founder and Chief Executive Officer Jacquie Berglund. “The largest growing segments are military families and college students. We need to work harder and have our citizens meet their basic needs.”

Up until two years ago when Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis stopped operating food shelves, it had benefited from Finnegans’ outreach.

continue at The Catholic Spirit

This is good beer too.

HT Ray