"We joined the Hasta La Raíz movement because standing up for human dignity is our duty—especially in times of crisis. As one of the only Mexican-owned breweries in the Bay Area, we take pride in our family history and the sacrifices that made our work possible today. We honor that legacy by using our voice to speak out against the injustices facing our communities.

At our core, we stand against racism, cruelty, and hatred. Supporting and protecting our community isn’t just part of our mission—it’s who we are." - Felipe & Wendy Bravo, Owners, Foxtale Fermentation Project

On June 11th, Jessica Salas, a craft beer industry veteran who now lives in Portland, OR, launched Hasta La Raíz after watching her former Los Angeles-area neighbors take to the streets in protest.

“I was born in the Inland Empire, spent a lot of time exploring LA, especially places like Santee Alley, and lived in Long Beach before moving up to Portland. As a daughter and granddaughter of first-generation immigrants, I knew I wanted to create something rooted in visibility, action, and love.”

The breweries listed on Salas’ resume will be familiar to anyone who has kept track of the craft beer cutting edge over the past decade: Beachwood Brewing, Riip Beer Co., Smog City, Ruse, and a stint as General Manager at Brujos Brewing in Portland.

“Beer shaped so much of who I am,” she says. “It’s where I built community, made lifelong friends, and even met my fiancé. I care deeply about this industry.”

Inspired by Bow & Arrow Brewing’s “Native Land” collaborations and Marcus Baskerville's “Black Is Beautiful” campaign, Salas describes Hasta La Raíz as a “collective resistance movement.” Each Hasta La Raíz beer raises funds for Freedom for Immigrants, a California-based nonprofit working to end immigrant incarceration and advocate for the dignity, freedom, and human rights of all immigrants.

Collective fundraising efforts are not new to craft beer. In addition to “Native Land” and “Black Is Beautiful,” other initiatives following a similar model, like Sierra Nevada's “Resilience” or Other Half’s “All Together,” were extraordinarily successful in raising desperately needed funds. That said, Hasta La Raíz arrives at a far more difficult financial time for most breweries than these past efforts. It is one thing to seek support from a rapidly growing industry, another entirely when that growth has slowed. Still, more than 60 breweries have already signed on to Salas’ initiative, and we are proud to say that nine of those breweries are BABG members. 

Foxtale Fermentation Project out of San Jose was the first brewery to release a Hasta La Raíz beer. Their Red Corn Kölsch debuted on August 30th, along with the following statement posted to the brewery’s Instagram account...

“Hasta la Raíz means "To The Root" in Spanish. It’s a phrase that reflects identity, origin, and grounding. It symbolizes honoring where we come from, staying rooted in our values, and standing strong for the communities we fight to protect. This collaboration is a chance to brew with intention, represent our values, and show solidarity with those affected by unjust immigration systems.” 

Following Foxtale’s lead, Alameda Brewing dropped their Hasta La Raíz brew, a Mexican-style lager, on September 20th in conjunction with the brewery’s celebration of Mexican Independence Day. The very next week, two more member-breweries joined in: Oakland’s Temescal Brewing released their own Mexican-style lager, brewed with Heirloom Oaxacan green corn, while Calicraft Brewing released their Hasta La Raíz contribution, a Cold IPA.

At Calicraft, the initiative resonated personally.

“Calicraft is a company full of immigrants and the offspring of immigrants; this was a cause near and dear to our hearts. I am the son of Vietnamese refugees in an industry where very few people look like me or share my experiences.

However, the craft beer industry was founded on a counter culture mentality - the idea that we are doing something driven by passion more than profits, by new ideas not the status quo, by people not machines.

Hasta La Raíz reminds us that people, especially those who are marginalized, matter. That those voices not only deserve to exist - they deserve to be showcased and celebrated. That someone like me can have a seat at the table.

We chose to do an experimental Cold IPA for this collaboration. To me, an experimental beer shows off what we can do when we embrace different perspectives and mindsets - something new, boundary pushing, and as always - delicious.” -Thomas Dang Vo, VP of Brand and Innovation, Calicraft Brewing Company

Salas' initial call for breweries suggested a target release date of October, and this month has seen Hasta La Raíz beers arrive all across the country, including a few more here in the Bay Area. Last weekend, Clandestine Brewing in San Jose, as well as Laughing Monk Brewing and Fort Point Brewing in San Francisco, each released their beers. The Fort Point offering, an Extra Pale Ale, was released with the following statement:

“As the hometown beer of San Francisco, a proudly immigrant city, and a team that's made all the more vibrant thanks to diverse perspectives and backgrounds from team members who are immigrants themselves, we felt called to support the Hasta la Raiz movement. This project exemplifies that we are stronger together, and we're proud to support.”

This week, will see releases from Cellarmaker Brewing and HenHouse Brewing Company. The Cellarmaker beer is a West Coast IPA and will hit their taprooms this afternoon, while the HenHouse beer will be released when their taprooms open on Halloween.

“We are proud to be a part of the Hasta la Raiz collaborative effort. Beer is community. And our immigrant communities have been under attack. Basic human dignity ignored. Proceeds from this release support efforts to end immigration detention, reunite families, and protect the humanity of people seeking a better life.” -Connor Casey, Founder, Cellarmaker Brewing Company

“HenHouse wants to always be a brewery standing behind our values and our community, and the immigrants that make Sonoma County, California and the US an awesome place to live are absolutely our community. We stand with immigrants, we stand against their oppression, fuck ICE.” -Collin McDonnell, Founder, HenHouse Brewing Company

As the Hasta La Raiz movement grows, it demonstrates that even in trying economic times, local breweries can still band together and use their craft to support a noble cause. To stand up for and remain rooted in the communities they serve.

You can show your support this week by visiting any of the breweries mentioned above. To learn more about Hasta La Raiz visit www.hastalaraizbev.org, or email HastaLaRaizBev@gmail.com.

🍻 Upcoming Events Featuring Our Member Breweries

🎉 Free (Pay-As-You-Go) Public Events This Weekend!

Thursday, 10/30— Singles Only Boos and Brews at BareBottle Brewing (Santa Clara, CA)
Fresh off their double gold medal performance at GABF, BareBottle is teaming up with Thursday San Jose for a Halloween party full of costumes, craft beer, and killer vibes.
More Info →Halloween Singles Night In Santa Clara

Friday, 10/31— Halloween Night Party at Original Pattern Brewing (Oakland, CA)
A spooky-season smash featuring live music, DJs and an costume contest, all fueled by some delicious brew!
More Info →Halloween Night Party In Oakland

Friday, 10/31— Adult Trick Or Treat at Humble Sea Alameda Point (Alameda, CA)
From 3-9 PM on Halloween, Humble Sea's taproom and their Storehouse Loft neighbors, The Yard by Saltbreaker, are joining together to host an adult trick or treat featuring drink specials, prizes, laughs, and a little too much candy.
More Info →Adult Trick Or Treat In Alameda

📅 Save the Dates

Friday, 11/7— Kelly Brewing Company 7th Anniversary Celebration (Morgan Hill, CA)
Help Morgan Hill's open-fermentation fanatics, celebrate their anniversary with DJs, free food, special beer releases and more!

Saturday, 11/8— Alpha Acid Brewing Company 7th Anniversary Celebration (Belmont, CA)
Help Alpha Acid celebrate their 11th birthday with exclusive barrel-aged beers and other special releases.

Friday 2/20/2026 - Sunday 3/1/2026 — Beer Week 2026 (The Whole Damn Bay Area!)
The biggest and best regional celebration of independent craft beer on the planet! 
Keep up-to-date on all the events at sfbeerweek.org

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