At the heart of this initiative is the “Two For The Trails Milestone Edition IPA,” a limited-edition non-alcoholic beer created to celebrate the trail restoration program the brand has been leading for the past eight years. By helping to preserve these natural trails, Athletic Brewing is helping to protect the wider range of flora and fauna across much of the United States.
This commitment to nature extends to the brewing process itself, as the beer is brewed using barley and hop varieties from the Hopsteiner breeding program, which have a significantly lower carbon footprint than traditional varieties.
“The trails, parks, and waterways we depend on don’t preserve themselves,” says Bill Shufelt, co-founder and CEO of Athletic Brewing. “Two For The Trails highlights our commitment to preserving access to nature, because if we don’t actively contribute to it, we risk losing the places and experiences that bring us together.”
More than just a limited edition, the annual campaign celebrates nature restoration and marks the evolution of this seasonal beer, which has grown from an annual tradition into one of the most impactful environmental initiatives in the craft non-alcoholic beer industry. Launched in 2018 with an initial donation of $6,000 to a single partner, Two For The Trails has become the sector’s largest annual environmental grant program, now distributing up to $2 million annually to support conservation and nature access projects, while prioritizing sustainable, low-carbon practices. To date, the program has invested $8.4 million in projects related to trails and natural areas, supported more than 500 grantees, and funded projects in 46 U.S. states and 3 countries.
For example, Athletic Brewing supported the creation of accessible trails at Burnham Brook Preserve (a park in Connecticut), enabling people in all-terrain wheelchairs to explore nature along several miles of adapted trails. The program also funds the restoration of fragile areas, such as endangered grasslands in Florida or trails in California and Wisconsin. More broadly, it helps remove invasive species, restore natural habitats, and clean up waterways.
Alongside the launch of this beer, Athletic Brewing has partnered with AllTrails, the world’s largest digital hiking guide platform, to launch “Two For The Trails,” a curated selection of trails across the United States that highlight areas supported by funding from Athletic Brewing. This collaboration directly connects consumers to the places they help protect.
