FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — To commemorate his sister Laura’s retirement from United Parcel Service after 34 years, Neal Hieb paid for her and her best friend to have a hands-on experience at Cherry Street Brewing.
Cherry Street founder Nick Tanner said Neal Hieb offered $2,000 for the brewing classes. Tanner chose to further the company’s mission by donating the funds to Mentor Me North Georgia, a nonprofit that connects children to adult volunteers who provide support, advice and guidance.
Tanner said Cherry Street’s mission is community, sustainability and education, and the donation to Mentor Me satisfies the company’s goals.
The Hiebs, Laura Turnbow and Cherry Street and Mentor Me staff gathered at the brewing company’s Halcyon location at noon Feb. 16 to commemorate the donation.
Laura Hieb said she used to live near Halcyon, and she often visited to enjoy beer and support the brewery.
“We said, ‘This is perfect,’” Laura Hieb said. “We have a passion for beer, and we also have a passion for giving back to the community.”
Laura Hieb and Turnbow, who is also retiring from UPS, brewed an IPA-style beer. Tanner dubbed the new brew “Laura Squared.”
Laura Hieb is pursuing a level one Cicerone certification, which teaches the fundamentals of beer flavor, styles and service.
Tanner said Cherry Street has offered “be a brewer for a day” opportunities at silent auctions in the past, but Turnbow and Hieb’s experience was a bit more involved.
“We’ve done a lot of charities,” he said. “We’ve done a lot of work with [the] Mentor Me program since we’ve been open, 11 years ago,” Tanner said. “So, it’s a really good program. As affluent as Forsyth County is, there’s still a lot of underprivilege in Forsyth County, so it’s nice to see what Mentor Me does.”
Mentor Me Executive Director Kerry…
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