Introducing: Raft!

Some beers come together because they sound fun. Others come together because they actually mean something. Raft is a bit of both.

This project came together with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, right here on the Monterey Bay coastline, and it all started with something pretty simple: sea otters. You’ve seen them out there, floating on their backs, wrapped up in kelp, drifting together in groups. That group is called a raft, and that’s where the name comes from. But once you start digging into it, it opens up into something way bigger.

Sea otters play a huge role in keeping this coastline in balance. They feed on sea urchins, which might not sound like a big deal at first, but it is. Without that pressure from predators, urchin populations can explode. When that happens, they tear through kelp forests at the root, turning these dense, thriving underwater ecosystems into what’s called “urchin barrens,” basically empty seafloor with little to no life left. No otters, more urchins. More urchins, no kelp.

And those kelp forests are everything. They support marine life, provide habitat for fish and invertebrates, help stabilize the shoreline, and even play a role in carbon capture. When they disappear, it’s not just a visual change, it impacts the entire system. Sea otters help keep that in check, and it’s a simple relationship that has a massive ripple effect. That connection to place is what made this one click for us early on.

Built Together

This wasn’t just a quick collab and call it a day. It’s something we worked through closely with the Aquarium team to make sure it actually felt real on both sides. On our end, that meant building a beer that felt like us, fresh, expressive, and something we were genuinely excited about. On their end, it was about making sure the story stayed grounded in the coast and the work they’ve been doing for a long time.

The artwork followed that same approach. We teamed up with Santa Cruz artist Wyatt Hersey, who also has a background in wildlife biology, which made him a perfect fit for this. He understood how to bring movement and life into it. The kelp doesn’t just sit there, the otters don’t feel static, it all feels connected, like it belongs to something bigger than just a can.

We also spent some time thinking about how this beer shows up physically. Each 6-pack uses compostable, biodegradable holders as part of a more sustainable packaging approach instead of traditional plastic rings. It’s not some big, sweeping solution, but it’s a step, and for a project tied this closely to the ocean, it felt like an important one. Less plastic out there means less chance of it ending up where it shouldn’t. Pretty straightforward.

Why It Matters

At the end of the day, this one is really about where we live. We’re lucky to be surrounded by a place like this, and the Monterey Bay Aquarium has been doing the work for decades to help protect it. Their sea otter program alone has played a huge role in bringing the population back and continuing to push that forward. Being able to tie into that, even in a small way, is something we’re proud of.

Raft is available now at our locations and through our select local and Bay Area partners. Grab a pack, enjoy it, and next time you’re out on the coast, take a second to look out there. There’s a lot going on just beneath the surface, and it’s worth protecting.