Brewers bare it all to raise awareness for men's health
It shouldn't be a surprise that the idea for a group of brewers to pose mostly nude for a calendar came while enjoying a few beers.
"About a year ago I thought about ways to do some charity work and started talking with the other guys," said Kurt Jensen, 8th Street Ale Haus owner.
"One of the guys said we should do a swimsuit calendar," said 3 Sheeps founder, Grant Pauly. "That's what it all stemmed from."
A year later — and fully sober — the idea has become reality in the form of the 2015 Brew Men Calendar starring the brewing professionals from 3 Sheeps Brewing, 8th Street Ale Haus and Plymouth Brewing Co.
There's more to the calendar than meets the eye. All proceeds from calendar sales are donated to the Movember Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on men's health issues.
Pauly says raising funds for cures to prostate and testicular cancer is important, but raising awareness is equally important citing the high success rate of treating prostate cancer when caught early.
He hopes the calendar will open up conversations about men's health
"I was down in Chicago when someone who saw the group photo on our Facebook page came up to me and we ended up having a 20 minute conversation."
Each month of the calendar focuses on a step of the brewing process from grain to tap. In all, there are 11 men posing and a group shot with a Happy Holidays message in December.
The photos were shot by Mike Wiesman, a professional photographer and craft beer enthusiast, during a period of three days in early October.
Posing without clothes can be a bit uncomfortable. Pauly says they were all running for their clothes after the December shot.
Jensen says getting the guys to bare it all for a good cause was easier than anticipated.
The calendar is the first project from a newly formed Brewers Against Bad Things founded by Pauly and Jensen that will focus on raising funds for charitable causes.
"Putting the calendar together, that was pretty easy," said Pauly. "We have the most difficult part ahead; getting the word out."
Get the calendar
Calendars can be purchased for $20 at BrewMenCalendar.com, 3 Sheeps Brewing Co., 1327 Huron Ave., Sheboygan; 8th Street Ale Haus, 1132 N. 8th St., Sheboygan; Plymouth Brewing Co., 222 E. Mill St., Plymouth; various bars, liquor stores and grocers throughout Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Monetary donations are also accepted on the website.
The men featured in the calendar will host their first fundraising event 4 p.m. Wednesday at 8th Street Ale Haus. Additional fundraising events will be held around Wisconsin and Illinois.
Daniel Higgins, dphiggin@pressgazettemedia.com, Twitter @pgdanhiggins