Epidemic Ales is set to release their annual Veteran's Day IPA on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2025, in Concord (photo courtesy of Holly Brown).
Epidemic Ales will release its annual Veteran’s Day IPA, a beer crafted by veterans who choose a special hops combination to make a beer that’s available only once a year.
The DD-214 Unfiltered IPA will be available starting Tuesday, Nov. 11, and until it’s sold out. All veterans will receive buy one get one free offers at the brewery on Tuesday.
Owner Holly Brown started the tradition in honor of her dad, Jim Brown, 81, a retired Marine Corps Combat Vietnam Veteran Lieutenant and Purple Heart Recipient.
“I’m really proud of him,” Holly said. “He’s always been super supportive of me owning the brewery. He raised me to do whatever I wanted to do. We have a woman-owned brewery. Even though he lives in San Diego, I ship it to him or I drive it back home to him and we drink it together. He likes to hand it out to his veteran friends. He’s really proud. It’s really special.”
The beer is 6.7% ABV and is named after the DD-214 form, a certificate of release or discharge from active duty that signifies a military service member’s transition into veteran status.
Holly Brown started the tradition seven years ago and keeps the flavor notes the same – tropical, fresh and citrus-forward — but the hop blend is always different, offering a slight adjustment to the taste. The hop blend is chosen by veterans and used for all 20 barrels of the specialty beer.
They choose a new charity to donate the proceeds to each year. This year’s proceeds will benefit the Soldiers’ Angels, a nonprofit providing resources to veterans and their families.
Brown said it’ll be sold on tap and in cans until all 20 barrels are sold out. Four-packs of 16-oz cans ($18) will also be sold online and can be shipped anywhere in California. But Brown encouraged locals to stop by on Tuesday and said she loves to meet veterans at the brewery.
“I like to bring everyone together,” she said. “Beer really brings everyone together. That’s what I wanted when I opened the brewery, to have a community-driven space, especially one that supports everyone.”
Epidemic Ales is coming off an award-winning performance at the Great American Beer Festival, where the brewery’s “Lager at World’s End” won a bronze medal. The beer previously won the gold medal in 2020.
Details: Opens at 3 p.m. weekdays and 12 p.m. weekends at 150 Mason Circle in Concord; epidemicales.com.
Originally published at Jason Mastrodonato