BLANCO, TEXAS – [October 15, 2025] – Real Ale Brewing Company, the fiercely independent Texas craft brewery known for its high-quality beers, today announced a partnership with Austin-based nonprofit Been There to launch a limited-edition local Texas lager, Been There beer, that will help support the organization's efforts to end homelessness in Central Texas. A significant portion of the proceeds, $4 per case and $30 per keg, will be donated to Been There.
Been There beer is an easy drinking Texas lager, light-bodied and crisp, with a clean finish – a new favorite, crushable lake beer. The special collaboration beer is available now in stores, including H-E-B, Total Wine, and more, across Austin and surrounding areas. It can also now be found on draught around the city and region, including all three Lavaca Street Bar locations and both Mean-Eyed Cats.
To help build excitement around the new beer release, Real Ale will be hosting beer samplings at local grocery stores, offering promotions at community bars and restaurants, and sharing a publicly available sweepstakes program giving customers the chance to win backstage access tickets ($500 value) to the nonprofit's special music festival at Radio/East on Saturday, November 8, where the beer will also be featured. The one-day music festival, Been There 4, will benefit nonprofits fighting homelessness in Austin and feature performances by Mix Master Mike of the Beastie Boys, Ben Kweller, Grandmaster, Deadeye and more Austin musicians. Or get tickets now at the link below with limited early bird GA tickets available for only a $20 minimum donation. Premium Backstage Access tickets available for a $500 minimum donation. 100% raised goes to nonprofits fighting homelessness in Austin.
"Giving back has always been central to Real Ale's mission," said Real Ale President Brad Farbstein. "We've been admirers of the work of Been There founders Aaron and Lenny for years, and after creating the 'Realsner' prop beer for their movie, Home Free, we knew we wanted to find a meaningful way to support their cause. This partnership feels like a natural fit. Beer has this unique ability to bring communities together, and we believe this collaboration will help shine a spotlight on the important work being done to address homelessness in our region. We're proud to stand with Been There and hope this inspires other businesses to get involved in this important mission."
Been There is a nonprofit that uses entertainment, art and consumer products as a "Trojan horse" style movement to create positive societal change. The organization is best known for producing Home Free, an empowering social impact film (disguised as a coming-of-age college comedy) informed by their true real-life experiences inviting their unhoused neighbors to crash on their porch while at the University of Texas at Austin in the 90s – ultimately aiming to rewrite the narrative on homelessness. Through efforts like the film and their annual Been There festival, the nonprofit has raised over $3 million for homelessness nonprofits in Austin and counting – with no plans of slowing down.
"Our approach at Been There is about meeting people where they're already having fun and introducing opportunities to make a difference that can spark real change," said Lenny Barszap, co-founder of Been There. "We understand that ending homelessness isn't something we can accomplish alone. It requires collective action. Our role is to serve as cheerleaders, bringing visibility and momentum to the incredible organizations that have the expertise and resources to create lasting solutions. When we can amplify their efforts, meaningful progress becomes achievable."
The partnership with Real Ale represents an evolution in the Been There strategy to create a plug-and-play model for businesses that want to do good in ways that feel natural to their customers.
"Our model is similar to successful campaigns like Product (RED)," said Barszap. "We're focused on integrating giving into everyday purchases and activities, creating opportunities for people to contribute to positive change through things they're already doing."
For Been There co-founder Aaron Brown, Austin represents a model for nationwide change. "Austin has all the right elements to become the first major U.S. city to successfully solve homelessness," he says. "We have outstanding organizations already creating innovative and meaningful solutions paired with a creative community that drives engagement and inspiration. If we can scale what's already happening, we can start a movement that will radiate across Austin and become a model that other cities can replicate."
About Real Ale Brewing Company
Since 1996, Real Ale has been brewing high-quality craft beer in Blanco, Texas, surrounded by the natural beauty of the Texas Hill Country. The brewery is known for minimal processing that produces maximum flavor, using water from the nearby Blanco River and the highest quality ingredients without preservatives or artificial colors. Real Ale produces 18 signature beers available year-round and seasonal releases, selling exclusively in Texas. The brewery has won multiple Great American Beer Festival medals and World Beer Cup medals, including Gold in 2025 for Firemans #4 cementing its status as "#1 Blonde Ale in the World." For more information, visit the link below. Follow on @realalebrewing on Instagram. #REALALEdoesREALGOOD
About Been There
Been There is a Trojan-horse-style movement led by a community of creative do-gooders transforming films, festivals, music and art into catalysts for positive societal change. Been There is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit unleashing the power of fun to build community and help put our nation's biggest challenges, like homelessness, behind us. Through music, festivals, films and art, Been There uses fun to inspire empathy and impact, building awareness and helping raise millions of dollars for the nonprofits who serve our unhoused neighbors. The Been There mission is to 'have fun doing good' to put homelessness in the past. To learn more, please visit the link below and follow @BeenThereUSA on TikTok and Instagram, @BeenThereOrg on YouTube.
BeenThere 4 Details
When: Saturday, November 8, 2025
Where: Radio East, Austin, Texas
Lineup: Mix Master Mike (Beastie Boys), Ben Kweller, Grandmaster, DeadEye, Panic Stricken, TC Superstar, Benji Hughes, Ruby Jane and more
Beneficiaries: 100% of proceeds shared between Been There and partner nonprofits including Sunrise Navigation Center, The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF), Caritas of Austin, and Art From The Streets
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