Two Vermont breweries are raising a glass to help Vermonters affected by the floods with a new beer called Vermont Flood Relief IPA.

Co-owner and Head Brewer, John Kimmich says The Alchemist and Hill Farmstead Brewery are combining their passion for brewing with a desire to support the Vermont community.

“We know how to brew it, package it, get it out for sale, and raise that money as quickly as possible,” says John Kimmich.

All proceeds will go to five major statewide relief funds, including the NOFA-VT Farmer Emergency and The Vermont Flood Response and Recovery Fund.

“We’re also supporting the Capstone Business Relief Fund which is super important because we want to see our main street businesses get up and running,” said The Alchemist co-founder Jen Kimmich.

The Kimmichs are no stranger to how much the Vermont floods could affect business. In 2011, Tropical Storm Irene damaged the Brewery’s downtown Waterbury pub.

Jen Kimmich adds, it was the hardest thing the two had ever gone through.

“We knew how important our work would be in supporting other businesses, supporting homeowners, supporting people who have been displaced. We also witnessed first-hand how much our neighbors are willing to help,” says Jen Kimmich.

John Kimmich reminds businesses, rapid climate change will change the way they will have to respond to natural disasters.

“A lot of these lessons were learned in 2011 so we have a lot of knowledge on how to rebuild with the idea that this is going to happen again,” he says.

Since Irene, The Alchemist has changed to solar energy and has repurposed much of its wastewater from brewing.

While the signature IPA recently sold out at all retails, the Kimmichs assure Vermonters they will continue to sell them on their Stowe brewery premises.