Gigantic Brewing & Weird Portland United Partner on Darcelle Blonde IPA

Portland, Ore, Feb 28th, 2023 — Gigantic Brewing Company’s ongoing collaboration with 501(c)(3) nonprofit Weird Portland United (WPU) returns with a Blonde IPA celebrating the work and influence of Darcelle XV, Portland’s original drag queen. Darcelle has been entertaining audiences and supporting the drag and LGBTQ+ community for over 55 years, and holds the Guinness record for being ‘The World’s Oldest Performing Drag Queen’.

“Darcelle is frequently introduced on stage as ‘The Bold, The Blonde, and The Beautiful,’ so when it came to developing the flavor profile for our collaboration beer, we knew exactly where to go,” says Gigantic co-owner Ben Love. “We used locally grown Cashmere and Luminosa hops to be apropos as well as to create a bright and tropical IPA with mango, candied orange peel, and peach notes.”

For the label design, it was Darcelle’s suggestion to bring on board local artist and broadcaster Helen Raptis, whose work perfectly captures Darcelle’s signature energetic and joyful expression, perfectly matching the style and tone of the beer.

Darcelle Blonde IPA Release
Darcelle’s Blonde IPA will be officially unveiled by Darcelle at a launch event and drag performance on March 15 at Darcelle XV Showplace at 6pm. Tickets are $20 at www.weirdportlandunited.org. Darcelle will be on hand to sign bottles and take photos. Due to the venue’s capacity, it is strongly recommended to buy tickets early. For those who can’t make it to Darcelle’s Showplace, there will also be a preview of the beer exclusively at all 3 Gigantic Brewing locations (SE 26th, NE Glisan, and the newest SE Hawthorne pub) starting Sunday March 12. Following release, ‘Darcelle’s Blonde IPA’’ will be available on draft and on store shelves everywhere Gigantic is sold.  Home delivery is also available within 18 miles of Portland through the Gigantic website.

Darcelle Blone IPA Release Party
March 15th, 6-9pm | Darcelle XV Showplace, 208 NW 3rd Ave | Portland | Tickets by eventbrite | Join the Facebook Event

About Gigantic Brewing Company
Gigantic Brewing Company is an independent, artisanal brewery located in the Southeast quadrant of Portland. We hold ourselves to a simple principle – Never Give an Inch. We vow to start small and (stubbornly) stay small, focusing our efforts on making exceptional beer, rather than a lot of beer. When you drink Gigantic, know that we didn’t just put our names on the label – our effort, imagination, and dry wit are in every bottle. Enjoy Gigantic at the Gigantic Brewery (5224 SE 26th Ave), Gigantic Robot Room (6935 NE Glisan), on tap or in bottle at your favorite grocer, bottle shop, bar or restaurant in Oregon. As always, Gigantic beer is packaged in BottleDrop Refillable bottles. BottleDrop Refillables are sorted, washed, inspected, and delivered back to Oregon’s craft beverage producers to be refilled. By choosing beverages in refillable bottles, you help keep our air clean, our beaches, parks and roadsides litter-free, promote a circular economy, and set a model for future generations.
www.GiganticBrewing.com