In August 2011, a helicopter carrying a group of military service members – many of them Navy SEALs – was downed in Afghanistan. The tragedy is considered the largest single day loss of American lives in the history of Special Operation Forces.
The 30 service members (call sign ‘Extortion 17’) plus one military K9 have come to be known as the ’31 Heroes.’ Years ago, we were approached by some of the local family members of Extortion 17 about brewing a beer in their honor and we released a wheat IPA to commemorate these fallen heroes on the date of the fifth anniversary of the crash. Because we were so overwhelmed and touched by the turnout and response to batch one, we have brought it back as an annual beer, and we are excited to announce this year’s edition will be released on August 5th.
The beer will be available on draft and in 12oz can 4-packs at the brewery along with hats, t-shirts, and glassware. A portion of the proceeds of all Extortion 17 beer during its release weekend will go to The 98 Fund, a nonprofit founded by USMA Class of 98 focused on providing scholarships for children of The Fallen, as well as support and healing for veterans and families.
