A message from Fringe Theatre:
After working together since 2023, Sea Change Brewing Co and the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival have taken their relationship to a new level with the release of an exclusive beer.
It's called the Beer Tent Blonde Ale, reflecting a piece of the Fringe experience that's almost as iconic as its performances.
"We wanted something that really showcased our partnership," Sea Change's Jamie McLean said of the name. "The image on it is those two theatre masks: classic drama and comedy."
Sea Change was started in 2017 by a group of artists, musicians, and experienced brewers. It gets its name from one of its founders, Ian McIntosh, whose father had a mobile dentistry unit on a boat that would go to inaccessible islands in B.C. That boat was named Sea Change, a phrase coined by Shakespeare in The Tempest.
"It's sort of a match made in heaven," said Megan Dart, the Fringe's executive director. "Sea Change is a company run by a bunch of weirdo artists. Fringe is a company run by a bunch of weirdo artists."
McLean, territory manager and sales rep for the Edmonton-based brewery, helped to get the partnership going after running into the festival's operation director, Chris Kavanagh, at Found Festival in 2023. They got to talking about the Fringe looking for a beer sponsor, which led to a plan to work together that year. The brewery went on to design labels inspired by Fringe posters. And now it has made a beer in honour of the festival.
"The Fringe is a really important cultural event," McLean said, "and we're a company that's started by artists. I think it's really special for us to be involved in this festival. We're happy to be here."
She described the Beer Tent Blonde Ale as flavourful, crisp, and "a perfect summer beer-tent beer." It will be available not only on the Fringe grounds in Old Strathcona but also at nearby restaurants, with some of the proceeds going back to the festival.
"Not only do you get to sip on a refreshing, cool Sea Change brew, but you also get to support the arts at the same time," Dart said.
The Fringe's beer tents will also offer Sea Change classics like The Wolf Hazy Pale Ale, Death Wave Light Lager, Prairie Fairy Blackberry Wheat Ale, and selections from Shiddy's Distilling, such as Brambo, a blackberry gin, and Slam-O-Nade, a vodka lemonade.
This year's Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival runs from Aug. 14 to 24. Festival Guides go on sale on July 30, and ticket sales open on Aug. 6. Learn more at fringetheatre.ca.