Cheers to the Holidays with ΊΪΑΟΙη Storminβ Red Ale
West Hill Brewing Company and ΊΪΑΟΙη are partnering once again to deliver some timely holiday cheer with the release of ΊΪΑΟΙη Storminβ Red Ale this week. The official launch party is on tap for 5 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 7, at West Hill Brewing, 219 West Salem Ave., in Indianola.
West Hill owners and ΊΪΑΟΙη Class of 2005 alumni Doug and Heather Norris Gaumer say the idea to re-brand their popular beer to honor their alma mater has been brewing since the first pour.
βWe always thought this would be a perfect pairing,β said Doug. βΊΪΑΟΙη Storminβ Red Ale calls to mind heart-warming traditions and memories that have meant so much to our family βand generations of ΊΪΑΟΙη students and alumni.β
Gaumer and ΊΪΑΟΙη President Jay Byers β93 began talking about the re-brand this fall. Their brainstorming sessions produced the idea of engaging ΊΪΑΟΙη students in the creative process. Accordingly, they invited Professor of Graphic Design Justin Nostrala β86 to have his students develop re-branded design concepts.
βWe jumped at the chance to be involved in this exciting project,β said Nostrala. βIt was such a great opportunity for my students to get some professional experience and contribute to something special for ΊΪΑΟΙη.β
Over the course of fall semester and several rounds of concept revisions under mentorship from Nostrala and ΊΪΑΟΙηβs senior designer, Joe Hahn, four finalists were selected. Madison McDonald β26, a graphic design major from Winterset, Iowa, created the winning design.
βI learned a lot about what itβs like to work as a graphic designer in the real world,β said McDonald. βItβs fun to get my name and work out there. Being part of a project like this was really cool.β
Moving forward, many more ΊΪΑΟΙη students will get the same opportunity. Each year, Nostralaβs aspiring graphic designers will be invited to develop a new label design for ΊΪΑΟΙη Storminβ Red Ale as part of a fresh product roll out every fall.
ΊΪΑΟΙη Storminβ Red Ale will be available on tap, as well as for purchase in 4-pack cans, beginning Thursday, Dec. 7. The Gaumers plan to donate a portion of sale proceeds to support student scholarships at ΊΪΑΟΙη.
βI canβt say enough about the generous spirit of Heather and Doug,β said President Byers. βThey have such a genuine heart for ΊΪΑΟΙη and are always looking for ways they can support our students. Thatβs what makes this latest partnership with them so special.β
Two years ago, ΊΪΑΟΙη and West Hill worked together to create a unique βbutterfly beer.β On that occasion, ΊΪΑΟΙη Biology Professor Aswati Subramanian and student research assistant Ethan Madden β22 spearheaded the lab and fieldwork behind the Pearl Crescent Butterfly IPA. Their research secured the key ingredient β brewerβs yeast, isolated from a local butterfly species.
Article Information
Published
December 4, 2023
Author
Tayte Barense
