Photo from @lostworldsbeer

March 22. Lost Worlds Brewing has already sold out of its first 500 “Putin is a Dick” crowlers to benefit the National Bank of Ukraine’s Fund for Refugees. 

The West Catawba brewery launched the campaign March 18 to raise money for Ukrainian refugees by selling 32-ounce take-home crowlers that come with a new label featuring Russian President Vladimir Putin, with choice words on the despot’s forehead. 

The effort was inspired by a brewery in Milwaukee.

Fast footwork

“What they were doing caught our attention, so we asked if they’d like some help raising money in the south,” says Dave Hamme, co-founder of Lost Worlds Brewing.

David Hamme, founder of Lost Worlds Brewing / Photo by Tripp Liles

The crowlers run about $15 each, depending on your choice of beer. Lost Worlds is donating 50 percent of the proceeds from each crowler to the National Bank of Ukraine’s Fund for Refugees. Lost Worlds Communications Director, Sherri Johnson says they have raised roughly $5K.

Beer: A unifying factor

Breweries have a way of uniting people.

“This is a very collaborative industry where it’s not uncommon to band together to help people in need and share what we’re all thinking—that this is Putin’s war, and well, pretty much everyone thinks he’s a dick,” Hamme said.

Sales are good

The Milwaukee brewer is, interestingly enough, called Lakefront Brewery.

 “We hoped this would catch on with other breweries and are happy that Lost Worlds is tapping into the effort,” said Andy Jungwirth, export manager at Lakefront Brewery.

 “We sold out our initial run of 2,000 labels on the first day, and have since sold nearly 5,000 crowlers to date.”

Lost Worlds will have 1000 more to sell starting Thursday, March 24.