The winning name: Hi-Yu Brü, next West Seattle/White Center benefit beer

Just in from Jeff Gilbert at the Feedback Lounge (WSB sponsor), on behalf of all the West Seattle/White Center establishments participating in the name-the-charity-beer campaign: After judges reviewed hundreds of entries, they chose … Hi-Yu Brü! The announcement:

HI-YU BRÜ, the third of three Big Al Brewing charity beers, benefiting the West Seattle and White Center communities, arrives just days from now. In a three-week contest to name the beer, HI-YU BRÜ, the entry by TIAN RICHARDSON of West Seattle, was chosen from more than 300 submitted titles. (The contest was only open to West Seattle and White Center residents).

“I am thrilled to have my beer name HI-YU BRÜ chosen to represent our West Seattle/White Center communities,” says Tian. “Hi-Yu, which means ‘much, plenty, abundance’ in native Chinook jargon, will undoubtedly bring just that to all of us in the form of…well…beer, and will also bring help to those in need in our communities.”

For the beneficiary of the sales percentage of HI-YU BRÜ, Tian has chosen the Holy Rosary Parish Ministries, which has a number of different local benefits in the West Seattle community, from meals for the elderly/low-income, to a weekend women’s shelter.

On Friday, April 6, 2012, 6 PM, nine West Seattle/White Center bars and restaurants will introduce HI-YU BRÜ to the neighborhood, with each establishment pledging a portion of the sales to the chosen charity. The beer, crafted by Big Al Brewing, is hoppier styled IPA and will be exclusively available at The Feedback Lounge, West 5, Shadowland, Mission, Big Al Brewing, The Bridge, Locöl, Beveridge Place Pub, and Company Bar until April 26, 2012. After April 26, any venue with a liquor license will be able to buy and offer HI-YU BRÜ to their customers.

“It was extremely challenging to pick a winning name for the beer,” says Feedback Lounge co-owner and charity beer organizer, Jeff Gilbert. “There were so many amazing suggestions, the judges had a hard time deciding. Some of the more fun ones were Alki “Pasty Leg” Ale, Pirate’s Landing Pale Ale, Gatewood Grog, Lincoln Lager, Innocent Amanda Ale, Viaduct Fail Ale, Rolling Roxbury, and Wes C. Addle Pale Ale. Makes me wish we were releasing 10 more beers.”

This is the third in a series of Big Al Brewing-brewed beers with proceeds benefiting local charities. The previous two were Löwman Bräu and Whale Tail Ale.

15 Replies to "The winning name: Hi-Yu Brü, next West Seattle/White Center benefit beer"

  • T March 21, 2012 (6:39 pm)

    Considering it’s regularly posted that Hi-Yu needs money for the float and storage, and that they give deserving young women scholarship money, perhaps the proceed dollars should have gone to Hi-Yu instead? Just a thought..

  • stb March 21, 2012 (6:42 pm)

    Love it!

  • M March 21, 2012 (8:26 pm)

    Agreed. Hi-Yu needs help paying scholarships and funding community events. It is very misleading that they do not benefit from the community festival’s name being used.

  • HunterG March 21, 2012 (8:32 pm)

    I LOVE that poster!!!

  • JayDee March 21, 2012 (9:13 pm)

    While my candidate beer name lost out I would think that if you appropriated the name of of a community festival that charity should get some of the proceeds. The rationale being that Hi-Yu Bru would be meaningless without Hi-Yu: no geographic reference to West Seatlle would fly if not for the association with the festival. My two cents and not sour grapes.

  • 2 Much Whine March 21, 2012 (9:42 pm)

    I think it’s great and even better than my suggestion – Stolen Totem Pale Ale (or Stolen Totem Pole Ale).

  • Mike March 21, 2012 (10:01 pm)

    JayDee, Hi-Yu was around before the parade. There’s even a ferry the M/V HIYU, http://www.evergreenfleet.com/hiyu.html
    .
    I look forward to trying out HI-YU BRÜ

    • WSB March 21, 2012 (10:17 pm)

      Actually to clarify, we don’t have a Hi-Yu Parade. Hi-Yu’s float and royalty are in the West Seattle American Legion Grand Parade, but the parade is not a festival production. Good point about the ferry – the name is not exclusively a West Seattle thing. Re: Supporting Hi-Yu … if you’ve missed all the pitches published here in the past, you can donate to them right now, no need to await a future beer! Here’s a direct link to their PayPal account: http://is.gd/rAeZlK … and look for this spring/summer’s slate of events … TR
      .
      P.S. The parade could use some more support too! http://thewestseattleparade.com/Donate.html

  • Tony March 22, 2012 (8:06 am)

    That’s an unusual name. Does anybody know the meaning/origin of the name ‘HI-YU’?

  • WSB March 22, 2012 (8:31 am)

    Explained in paragraph two of the announcement (blue boxed text).

  • Tony March 22, 2012 (8:48 am)

    Sorry I missed that one. Thanks!

  • long in time WS March 22, 2012 (6:38 pm)

    Before the was the Washington state ferry, there was West Seattle Hi Yu founded in 1934.
    The ferry did not come until 1967. Then came the BRU.
    But what is in a name? West Seattle Summer Fest
    West Seattle Hi Yu Summer Festival….

    Hmmmm?

  • Mike March 22, 2012 (8:35 pm)

    And before West Seattle, there was a tribe that spoke a language which we get the jargon for ‘Hi-Yu’ or ‘HIYU’

  • TJ March 22, 2012 (11:32 pm)

    The point is that Hi-Yu is associated with the West Seattle Hi-Yu Summer Festival, and that is what people associate Hi-Yu with, not the Chinook tribe or the ferry. West Seattle Summer Fest is the name of the street fair/sidewalk sale, and not run by Hi-Yu, just as the parade is not run by Hi-Yu. Hi-Yu participates in many summer events, has a float in the parade and many neighboring cities’ parades, and has a scholarship program for young women, and a junior court program as well. And needs money all the time! So it isn’t fair that the proceeds from name association go to a different organization. Simple, I think.

  • Mike March 24, 2012 (1:23 am)

    Hopefully this new brew can enlighten people with some local culture.

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