written and photographed by Jackie Dodd
The woman behind the counter at MiiR put a freshly poured beer in one of my hands and an empty, insulated tumbler in the other. She told me to turn the tumbler over.
“There’s a code on the bottom,” she said. “You can track where your proceeds went and what they did.”
A portion of the income from MiiR goes to help provide clean water, education and bicycles in underdeveloped nations, regardless of whether it makes a profit. I looked around at the space, an artisan shop filled with beautifully crafted growlers, pints, tumblers and bicycles on one side, and a light-filled, loft-inspired coffee shop and taproom on the other. Well situated below the Brooks corporate offices in Fremont, it was bustling—even mid-day—with a crowd of people enjoying the well-crafted coffee and impressive craft beer tap list.
Turning back to my pint, I let the information settle into my brain, feeling better about my purchase as if the next sip of beer would taste better. In a year when it seems like there is more chaos than peace, more unrest than happiness, being able to pour some good into the world seems like all we can do to tip the boat back upright.
Plus, the tap list of nearly thirty well-curated craft beers makes the space worth a visit all on its own. It just so happens I can also help provide clean drinking water to sub-Saharan Africa while I get my fill of great craft beer. It’s almost too effortless, an overly indulgent way of giving that makes all other afternoon IPAs seem a tad more selfish. It’s really just another great excuse to travel to Fremont for beer. I drink a great beer while making the world just a little bit better. One pint at a time.
3400 Stone Way N
Seattle
