In honor of the 100th anniversary of the formation of the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD), Drake’s Brewing Co. has released Water Wings East Bay Lager, a “refreshing beer that showcases the high-quality water EMBUD has been delivering from the Sierra Nevada to the East Bay for a century,” according to a joint statement from the beer maker and utility.
The Water Wings label features the Mokelumne River, Pardee Reservoir in the Sierra foothills, the vast EBMUD watershed, and a nod to the complex infrastructure that delivers water to EBMUD’s service area.
“When up to 95 percent of your beer is water, you have to consider this the most important ingredient when brewing great beer,” said Drake’s Sustainability Manager Hal McConnellogue. “EBMUD provides Drake’s and the East Bay community with some of the best water in the United States. To help celebrate EBMUD’s 100th year of operation, we jumped on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Drake’s will package Water Wings at its San Leandro facility on Thursday, May 4. The brewery will then release Water Wings on draft and in cans at their local retail locations – Drake’s Dealership in Oakland and Drake’s Barrel House in San Leandro – on Friday, May 5. Shortly after, it will distribute Water Wings in cans to various retailers in Alameda and Contra Costa counties for a limited time.