Melbourne-based brewery Stomping Ground Brewing Co has partnered with local deaf artist Gonketa on an accessible collaboration that celebrates craft beer and visual communication.
The collaboration includes a limited-release hop-forward beer, Haze Shapes Mango NEIPA, brewed and designed by Stomping Ground and Gonketa. The beer has notes of mango and chili, inspired by a cocktail that Gonketa makes at home.
The limited-edition can artwork has been designed by Gonketa, showcasing his Auslan-inspired visual style and taking inspiration from brewing terminology in Auslan and the various signs that depict the brewing process and ingredients in beer.
Coinciding with International Week of Deaf People (22-29 September) and International Day of Sign Languages (23 September), Haze Shapes Mango NEIPA launches on Wednesday 24 September at the Stomping Ground Brewery & Beer Hall in Collingwood. The Auslan-interpreted launch event will include a guided six-beer tasting with Stomping Ground brewers, and guests will be among the first to try the special release.
Guy Greenstone, Founder and Managing Director at Stomping Ground, says: “As a brewery we’ve always believed that beer is a connector, with the ability to bring all sorts of people together. Working with Gonketa allows us to push that even further – breaking down barriers, sparking conversations, and celebrating the many ways we communicate.”
Gonketa added: “Auslan is more than a language, it is art, it is culture, and it is identity. This collaboration makes that visible in new spaces, and I am proud to share it with Melbourne’s beer community. Most importantly, it leaves a legacy, a reminder that Deaf culture and sign language belong everywhere, from galleries to laneways to breweries.”
As part of the collaboration, a large-scale mural has also been created on Gipps Street, celebrating Auslan and Melbourne’s creative culture.
For every can of Haze Shapes Mango NEIPA sold, 50 cents will be donated to Deaf Youth Australia, as well as a portion of proceeds from ticket and merchandise sales. Deaf Youth Australia is a national organisation focused on providing events and access for young Deaf and hard of hearing Australians. Through its Giving Ground series, Stomping Ground has already raised and donated more than $400,000 for social impact causes.
Haze Shapes Mango NEIPA is now available in four- and 16-packs from Stomping Ground’s online store, its Collingwood and Moorabbin Beer Halls, and selected Melbourne bottle shops.
