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5 local beers support breast cancer awareness

If you’re suddenly seeing more pink popping up than usual, it might not be just because it’s pretty. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

If you're suddenly seeing more pink popping up than usual, it might not be just because it's pretty.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and rose-colored ribbons have become a symbol of the annual campaign to encourage early detection and raise money for research about the disease and improve care and treatment for its survivors.

There's an easy way to get involved: drink beer.

Five Pennsylvania breweries have created special beers that benefit the cause.

Free Will Saison de Rose

For the second year in a row, Perkasie's Free Will Brewing joined forces with four prominent women of the Philly beer scene — Erin Wallace, Carolyn Smagalski, Marnie Old and Tara Nurin — to create a special pink-hued saison. The farmhouse ale brewed with grapefruit, pink peppercorns, ginger and hibiscus is slightly sweet, but also spicy and refreshing, and is available now at more than 80 bars through the region (including Wallace's trio of pubs: Devil's Den, Barren Hill Tavern and Old Eagle Tavern). For every pint sold, $1 is donated to the Rena Rowan Breast Center at Penn.

Weyerbacher Althea

Italian plums are what gives Weyerbacher's limited-edition Belgian-style dubbel its rosy tint, in a recipe developed last year by NJ sales rep (and avid homebrewer) Natalie DeChico. The Easton brewery just released Althea on Sept. 30, so the 750-ml corked-and-caged bottles should be making their way to area bars and beer stores soon. Each of those bottles sold means $1 more for the coffers of the Breast Cancer Patient Assistance Fund of Lehigh Valley Health Network.

Yards PYNK

Last year's inaugural release of Pynk was so successful that this year, the Delaware Avenue brewery made nearly twice as much — close to 700 barrels. More than 3,300 pounds of raspberries and sour and sweet cherries go into each batch, producing a bright pink ale that's tart and fruity, with a bright, effervescent finish. Each case sold nets $1 for the Tyanna Foundation, and there are a handful of fundraising events planned.

On Friday, Oct. 3, Yards is hosting a party at its taproom, and $10 gets you a pint of Pynk plus a scoop of Little Baby's Ice Cream. Live music will play and Shake Shack will be slinging $7 Smoke Shack burgers. Additionally, all three area locations of Shake Shack will be selling Pynk throughout the month, and will donate $1 for every bottle sold. Later this month, on Sunday, Oct. 19, Brad Spence's Amis is hosting a charitable "Breast Brunch Ever," with a prix-fixe menu featuring dishes made with Pynk and special Pynk beer cocktails.

Troegs Oktoberbreast

Troegs' annual Fest Lager is being renamed "Oktoberbreast" during a week-long partnership with Feel Your Boobies, a nonprofit that encourages women to be adamant about self breast exams. At the brewery's spacious tasting room in Hershey, $1 from every pint of the reddish beer sold will be donated to the campaign. Stop in on Sunday, Oct. 12, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and $10 will score you a special t-shirt and a photo with Brian Osborne from The Bachelorette.

Snitz Creek Apple-Weisse Wheat

This January, friends and longtime homebrewers Patrick Freer and Adam Szajda officially launched Snitz Creek in Lebanon, and have been rapidly expanding their distribution footprint eastward. In partnership with the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition, they dyed their autumn batch of apple-weisse wheat beer pink, and are donating $1 from every pint sold to the organization. Look for it at their taproom or in select bars throughout Lancaster, Lebanon, York, Berks and possibly even Montgomery Counties.