Dark Star partners with comedians for mental health charity

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Named after the duo’s newly released book, the 3.5% Holy Vible Session Pale Ale is an A-Z guide to the comedians’ Radio X radio show and its cult following.

All profits from sales of the beer will be donated to CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably, which aims to reduce the number of male suicides in the country.

The ale is fermented with an English ale yeast and dry hopped with American Cascade and Crystal hops, and will be available in keg and can formats at selected sites.

The Sussex-based brewery has been operational since 1994 and was acquired by Fuller’s in February this year.

Suicide prevention

Robins, who won the prestigious award for best comedy show at the Edinburgh Comedy Award with Hannah Gadsby in 2017, said: “Suicide is the biggest killer of men under 45 in this country.

“Men who perhaps felt unable to reach out, embarrassed to talk, or too alone to ask for help. It has to stop, and now.”

Dark Star managing director James Cuthbertson said the partnership was a natural fit with the company’s principles.

He said: “When John approached us with the idea, it was really easy to agree to.

“He’s long been a supporter of ours and when it was suggested that we brew the beer to support CALM, well that fitted in perfectly with our ethos of using beer to do good, something that can be seen in the work our foundation does each year.”

Conversation starter

Since its establishment in 2013, the brewery’s foundation has supported various good causes through fundraising events and brewery tours.

CALM chief executive officer Simon Gunning said he hoped the limited-edition ale would start a dialogue about mental health.

He explained: “As the guys have repeatedly shown, humour can be a brilliant way to start a conversation and, with CALM’s helpline information on the cans of this lovely session pale ale, there’s every chance that one of those conversations could turn out to be life-saving.”