Photo by Deb Gau Dustin Brau spoke with visitors as the first cans of Mustang Golden Ale came through the canning line on Wednesday morning. Mustang Golden Ale is the first of four exclusive beers with a community theme to be produced at Brau Brothers.

MARSHALL — A Marshall area community partnership is showing results — just in time to help celebrate homecoming at Southwest Minnesota State University.

On Wednesday, representatives of SMSU and the city of Marshall watched as six-packs of the new Mustang Golden Ale came off the canning line at Brau Brothers Brewing Co. Mustang Golden Ale is the first of four exclusive Brau beers being released with a local theme. Brews representing the Marshall community and Tall Grass Liquor will be canned starting next week, said Dustin Brau of Brau Brothers.

“This partnership not only celebrates the creativity and innovation that our university fosters, but also reinforces the strong bonds within our community,” said Nathan SMSU associate vice president for Advancement Nathan Polfliet.

Marshall City Council member and mayor pro tem Craig Schafer said the project highlighted the unique relationships between the community, SMSU and local businesses.

“It really focuses on who we are here, as the regional hub,” Schafer said.

The collaboration of SMSU, the city of Marshall, Tall Grass Liquor and Brau Brothers came together earlier this year.

“When I first started as manager at Tall Grass, I learned very quickly how important our “Made in Minnesota” craft breweries were to our customers and the tag line of ‘Drink Local.’  Customers told me that they are always looking for unique locally brewed craft beer,” said Tall Grass Liquor manager Eric Luther.

The idea of having exclusive beers from a local brewery grew into a collaboration with the liquor store, the city, and SMSU, Luther said. Sales of Mustang Golden Ale will also help support athletics at the university, Luther said. For every six-pack of Mustang Golden Ale, Tall Grass Liquor would donate $1 to SMSU athletics, he said.

Jen Flowers, director of athletics at SMSU, said the department was “thrilled” to see the idea come to life this week. SMSU representatives said it was also special to be able to work with Dustin Brau, who is an alumnus of the SMSU class of 1999.

“Mustang Golden Ale is the outcome of a unique and special partnership that highlights what makes SMSU special: the people,” Flowers said. “Dustin and his team at Brau, along with Eric and his team at Tall Grass, have worked diligently to get us to this point. I especially want to thank our SMSU team behind the scenes for the incredible work they have done as we’ve prepared for this launch.”

Earlier this summer, Luther said it was hoped the exclusive beers would be ready in time for Marshall’s Sounds of Summer festival. But processes like getting state and federal approval for the beer can packaging moved a little more slowly than they hoped, Brau said.

SMSU representatives said Mustang Golden Ale will be available at Tall Grass Liquor starting Friday, and at SMSU’s homecoming Game Day Roundup events and alumni tailgate event on Saturday.

In addition to Mustang Golden Ale, Brau Brothers is also canning 1872 Amber Ale and Cultivate Pale Ale — featuring the Marshall city slogan ‘Cultivating the Best in Us” — to represent the city of Marshall, and Jiminey Jumper Juicy Apple Lager. The design of the Jiminey Jumper cans will feature Tall Grass Liquor’s grasshopper mascot. Luther said the beers will be available in six-packs, and plans for a fridge pack are still in the works.