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Lost Province teams up with Appalachian State University’s Fermentation Sciences: The Kathy Crutchfield Memorial Fund

Pictured left to right: Dr Brett Taubman, Director of ASU Fermentation Sciences & Dr. Andrew Mason, Owner & Director of Brewery Operations at Lost Province Brewing Co.

Lost Province Brewing Company, located in downtown Boone, NC, is excited to announce that they’ve teamed up with Appalachian State University. Starting Monday, September 21st, one dollar from every single pint of Bless Your Heart Blonde Ale that crosses LP’s bar will be donated to The Kathy Crutchfield Memorial Fund. These funds will then be awarded to the university in support of the Fermentation Sciences program. Lost Province’s goal is to grow and nurture this memorial fund for many years to come. In the future, students in the fermentation sciences program will be coming to Lost Province to help brew Bless Your Heart Blonde Ale, from which a portion of proceeds will be donated.

For quite some time now, Lost Province brewer and owner, Andy Mason, has been contemplating ways that he could support ASU’s Chemistry & Fermentation Sciences department. Maybe it was the time of year that had him reflecting on the High Country Beerfests of years past, or maybe it was just a couple of good beers that really got him thinking. Either way, he finally had an epiphany: a partnership that seeks to memorialize and celebrate a beloved Watauga County resident, Kathy Crutchfield.

Kathy passed away last September, and her bright spirit and lively energy are missed dearly. The great work that she did in our community will always be remembered. Amongst many things, Kathy played an integral role in the creation of High Country Beerfest, which occurs annually in late August. As High Country Beerfest was created with the intent of being a fundraising event for the Chemistry and Fermentation Sciences program, it’s only fitting that proceeds from The Kathy Crutchfield Memorial Fund be donated to that same department. Kathy worked alongside Andy and others, helping create the High Country Beerfest that both Boonies and travelers alike now know and love.

This time of year always makes Andy think back to those early days of planning. Reflecting fondly on his time spent with Kathy he says: “She wrangled a rowdy group of brewers, beer geeks, and community members together to plan this festival year, after year, after year. And in the early days, she was the only woman on board, too. She practically mother-henned us, and to this day we are so thankful for her and the perspective that she brought to the project. It wouldn’t have been the same without her.”

Andy hopes the memorial fund would make Kathy proud. As Kathy was a blonde, Andy thinks it would have brought a smile to her face to have known that the featured beer whose proceeds are being donated to the fund is Bless Your Heart, a blonde ale. Overall, Andy hopes that some portion of this memorial fund will be used to promote diversity and women in brewing. Andy also looks forward to having the opportunity to collaborate with Appalachian State fermentation science students. He says: “Bless Your Heart is a great training beer for brewers to hone their skills on. It has to be stylistically correct – a blonde ale has such a light flavor that any flaws are immediately apparent. It has to be right, it has to be clean.”

Lost Province Brewing Co. is a brewpub located in the heart of downtown Boone, NC. It’s a family owned and operated business that is committed to the community, environment and employees. It offers a family friendly and relaxing atmosphere and invites everyone to Find Yourself at Lost Province. Head to lostprovince.com for menus, hours of operation, and more.