By Sam Kricsfeld
Contributing Writer
The world seems to desperately need repair. As 2020 ends, many are reflecting on its awfulness. Widespread pain and suffering, combined with political upheaval and social justice issues, prompted Michael Crane to recall the term “Tikkun Olam” – Hebrew for “repairing of the world.”
At the start of the COVID-19 shutdown, Crane didn’t leave his house for days. As the shutdown continued, his son, who lives in Minneapolis, would report to him about the protests and unrest after the police killing of George Floyd. Further reflecting on issues in Kansas City, the United States and the world, Crane felt the need to do something positive.
He decided to use Crane Brewing Company, his Raytown, Missouri, brewery, to create a beer that could reflect the idea of Tikkun Olam. Along with Crane Brewing Company Vice President Chris Meyers, CEO Jason Louk and Head Brewer Eric Pageler, Crane developed Tikkun Olam beer.
Tikkun Olam is a part of the Crane Cares line of beers. A portion of all Crane Cares beer sales go to nonprofits. Part of the sales of Tikkun Olam beer go to Harmony Project KC, a nonprofit that provides orchestral music lessons and instruments to K-12 students in Kansas City’s Historic Northeast neighborhood.
“I think [Harmony Project KC] is a perfect charity that we can support in the effort of ‘Tikkun Olam’ because music brings good emotions to people,” Crane said. Similarly, he said beer and music bring people together.
“Partnerships with local companies like Crane [Brewing Company] are so important because it helps us stay afloat to do what we need to for families,” said Kyla Pitts-Zevin, Northeast Community Center development director for Harmony Project KC. She said that Kansas City’s Historic Northeast is “a prime example of what the world can be – all of us living together.”
The ingredients in Tikkun Olam beer are reflective of the idea of unity, Crane said. It is a “milkshake style” IPA brewed with strawberry, passionfruit, mango, pomegranate, peach and vanilla. Crane said that the origins of the fruits are from all over the world. Having all those fruits together, he said, makes the beer more impactful than a simple beer with just malt, hops and water.
“All of these fruits come together to make this beer special,” Crane said, “just as…people all come together to try to make the world a better place.”
The reviews have been positive. Untappd, a beer-rating website and app, put it at a little more than 4.0 on its five-point scale.
“The response [to Tikkun Olam] has been very positive,” Crane said. “A lot of people are buying the beer because it supports a good cause who are not even beer drinkers – people that are buying the beer because of the concept behind the beer.”
The pandemic has affected both Crane Brewing and the community that Harmony Project KC serves. Crane said that sales of beer kegs for restaurants and bars and sales in the company’s taproom have significantly decreased. Additionally, he said that there has been an emotional toll.
“It’s really sad when we see that friends are closing restaurants,” Crane said, “and a lot of people that do work in the service industry that are good friends have been really impacted.”
For Harmony Project KC, Pitts-Zevin said that the pandemic has increased students’ access challenges two-fold. In addition to the lack of access to instruments and lessons, there is now an increasing technology gap in the Historic Northeast, meaning that students sometimes lack access to computers or internet.
Despite the hardships, both Crane and Pitts-Zevin remain optimistic and faithful in Tikkun Olam.
“If people enjoy the beer, and it makes them smile, that goes a long way to repair the world,” Crane said. Added Pitts-Zevin, “There’s something really poetic and beautiful about repairing the world through music.”
Crane anticipated being sold out of the beer by late December. Crane Brewing Company does not have another batch scheduled, but may consider making the beer a seasonal release.
Tikkun Olam is the second beer from Crane Brewing Company influenced by events in 2020. In August, it joined over 1,000 breweries in making “Black is Beautiful,” a beer made to raise awareness of social injustices towards the Black community.
