January 2022 brought UMASS and NBA legend Marcus Camby together with Springfield’s White Lion Brewing Company. The two formed a strategic partnership and launched the wildly successful Marcus Camby New England IPA. This fall, the pair will focus its efforts on downtown Amherst, bringing White Lion’s strong community culture to the greater Amherst community.
White Lion Brewing Company Business Partner and Head Brewer Mike Yates notes, “Our brand is built on the community’s fabric creating a diverse, inclusive, and fun place to be in downtown Springfield. We look to replicate much of that exciting vibe in downtown Amherst. As an Umass-Amherst alum and a resident of the Happy Valley, I could not be happier to be back in Amherst. I built much of my professional brewing career here and I look forward to bringing brewing back to downtown Amherst. We plan to activate 104 N. Pleasant with an eventual nano-brew house offering one off experimental ales, a test kitchen, taproom, and outdoor social space.”
Gabrielle Gould, Amherst Downtown BID Executive Director shared, “this happens to be the culmination of an ongoing three year conversation with White Lion founder & President Ray Berry. Collectively, patience appears to have paid off; a White Lion - Marcus Camby partnership is an All-Star win for the business district. The Amherst BID’s vision is to curate businesses that complement our already outstanding and loved small businesses. This is just the beginning as we rebuild and create a vibrant downtown for residents, scholars, and visitors to enjoy over and over again.”
Marcus capped it by stating, “our partnership extends beyond a conventional business venture, it was important for me to engage the greater Amherst community. I have witnessed White Lion do amazing things in the greater Springfield area; I am confident we can capitalize on that momentum, utilize my career relationships to enhance the downtown Amherst experience. Lastly, the centerpiece of success is to work with Umass-Amherst and the local education community to create opportunities for the next generation of leaders.”
Original source can be found here.
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