Athletic Brewing to Release Closer By the Mile IPA

With the Help of its Community, Athletic is Helping to Push PMC to its $52 million Fundraising Goal for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

STRATFORD, CT — Athletic Brewing Company, the official non-alcoholic beer of the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC), returns this year with its limited time offering “Closer by the Mile” IPA, in honor of the PMC’s effort to raise $52 million for Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in 2021.

Athletic Brewing has been a proud partner of the PMC since 2019, and will once again donate a portion of proceeds from this special beer release to PMC Team Athletic Brewing Co., which the PMC donates 100% of rider-raised dollars to Dana-Farber in support of cancer research, treatment, and patient care, with Athletic Brewing hoping to surpass the $72,000 raised in 2020. PMC 2021 will take place on August 7-8, with riders cycling up to 211-miles across 16 different routes, including Reimagined options, across Massachusetts.

“Cancer is a disease that has touched many of our teammates’ families personally, including myself, and I am super proud for the part Athletic is playing in the nation’s single most successful charity,” said Athletic co-founder Bill Shufelt. “Peddling the 211 miles from Sturbridge to Provincetown requires an enormous amount of energy, and Athletic’s non-alcohol beers provide riders with the reward of a great tasting, full flavored beer, without the negative effects of alcohol.”

“Closer by the Mile” is a hop-forward pale IPA with aromas of grapefruit and pineapple, and a lean malt profile. The notes of tropical fruit accompany bitter Mosaic hops that culminate in a crisp, clean finish. This non-alcohol beer is the perfect refreshing choice for beer lovers and PMC participants.

Athletic Club subscribers can order Closer by the Mile at AthleticBrewing.com beginning today. PMC riders and beer lovers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island will find “Closer by the Mile” at Total Wine, Whole Foods and independent package stores beginning July 29.

Athletic Brewing Co. was created for healthy, active, mindful adults who want to enjoy great-tasting, high-quality beer, across a variety of styles and flavors, without the alcohol, hangover, or impact on personal goals – such as a bike-a-thon. But Bill Shufelt and John Walker always knew that brewing great beer was not the only way they could support their community.

PMC 2021 will bring together more than 6,000 riders from around the globe to make an unparalleled impact on the fight against cancer. As the most successful single athletic fundraising event in the United States and pioneer of the $5 billion athletic fundraising industry, the PMC has donated $767 million to Dana-Farber since 1980, helping fund critical cancer research, treatment and patient care as its largest single contributor, accounting for 64% of its Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue.

That’s why, in addition to donating proceeds from “Closer By The Mile” to the PMC, Athletic is proud to donate 1% of our sales to non-profit organizations supporting positive impact and opportunity in the craft beer industry and another two percent to its Two For The Trails initiative, destined to trail and park cleanups and maintenance, ensuring safe access to outdoor spaces.

About the Pan-Mass Challenge

The Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) is a bike-a-thon that today raises more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the world. The PMC was founded in 1980 by Billy Starr, who remains the organization’s executive director, an annual cyclist and a fundraiser. The PMC has since raised $767 million for adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through the Jimmy Fund. The event donates 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to the cause, generating 64 percent of the Jimmy Fund’s annual revenue as Dana-Farber’s single largest contributor. The PMC has successfully melded support from committed cyclists, volunteers, corporate sponsors and individual contributors, all of which are essential to the PMC’s goal and model: to attain maximum fundraising efficiency while increasing its annual gift each year. The PMC’s hope and aspiration is to provide Dana-Farber’s doctors and researchers with the necessary resources to discover cures for all cancers. For more information on the Pan-Mass Challenge, visit www.pmc.org.

About Athletic Brewing

International Beer Challenge 2020 “Brewer of the Year North America,” Athletic Brewing Company is reimagining beer for the modern, active adult. Their great-tasting craft brews let you enjoy the refreshing taste of craft beer, without the alcohol or the hangover. You can enjoy them anytime, anywhere, and still be healthy, active, and at your best; it’s the very reason they started brewing them in the first place. With custom breweries on the east and west coasts, their lineup has earned accolades throughout the industry, even against full-strength beers, including the 2020 World Beer Award Gold medal for Run Wild. To top it all off, as part of the Athletic Brewing “Two for the Trails” initiative, 2% of all sales are donated to trail and park cleanups and maintenance. Additionally, as a part of their IMPACT Program, 1% of revenue goes to non-profit organizations who support positive impact and opportunity from the ground up in their communities.

Named by Fast Company Magazine as one of the “World’s Most Innovative” companies in 2020, craft beer fans can find Athletic Brewing’s revolutionary Upside Dawn Golden Ale, Run Wild IPA, and Free Wave Hazy IPA at major retailers in the U.S. They also ship directly to consumers at www.athleticbrewing.com, where craft beer lovers can purchase Athletic’s full portfolio of flagships, seasonal, and specialty beers and also join the company’s subscription offering – The Athletic Club.

Whether you’ve decided to cut alcohol out of your life for good, for a night, or just one drink, Athletic Brewing Company provides an option without compromises that you’re guaranteed to enjoy.