In a recent interview, John Jackson, the owner and head brewer at Wild Parrot Brewing Company, announced the unveiling of a new beer named after the Mars Sample Return project’s surface phase.
The beer, which will be launched during a special happy hour event this Thursday, was named through a unique collaboration with a team member from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
Jackson explained that the naming of the beer was part of a fundraising auction conducted by Hamilton Elementary School, where his children attend.
The winning bidder was a member of the JPL team working on the Mars Sample Return mission, who wanted to show appreciation for his team and raise awareness for the project. The winning bid amounted to between $275 and $300, contributing to the school’s annual fund.
The brewer shared that the Wild Parrot Brewing Company’s involvement in the community extends beyond this event. Jackson’s wife works in education, and they have hosted multiple events to support public education, including PTA meetings and other fundraiser activities.
For the new beer, the JPL team created unique artwork featuring the brewery’s parrot mascot donning a space helmet. “Somebody from that team took our logo and put a space helmet on it, so we got a hundred stickers printed up of that,” Jackson said. These stickers will be given away to the first customers who buy the beer.
In terms of its aesthetics, the beer’s color is said to be influenced by the hues of a Mars sunset. Jackson noted, “the beer has some kind of yellowish, reddish tones to it. It’s going to be a little on the hazy side, so there will be some kind of connection between what the beer looks like and what the name is.”
This beer release marks a significant milestone for Jackson, who spent approximately eight years planning and developing the Wild Park Brewing Company. Prior to this, he was a home brewer for 12 years, before leaving a 15-year career in a planning and architecture firm to follow his passion for brewing full-time.
Wild Parrot Brewing Company is located in Pasadena at 2302 E Colorado Blvd. For more call (626) 529-3150 or visit wildparrotbrewing.com.
