Collaboration for a cause: Elixir Ale proceeds to benefit Agora Crisis Center; sold locally at Canteen Brewhouse, High and Dry Brewing and Steel Bender Brewyard

Agora Crisis Center is a beacon of light that guides its clients through dark times.

Its services are available to anyone around the country whether they are experiencing a mental crisis or trying to navigate through a bad day.

The center’s mission caught the attention of a trio of local breweries that came together for a good cause.

“Supporting mental health and normalizing mental health has been important to us,” said Shelby Chant, co-owner and marketing director of Steel Bender Brewyard. “When we started working with Canteen (Brewhouse) and High and Dry (Brewing), we decided to go ahead and keep the dollars local. We wanted to support a local organization rather than going with a national organization. ... When the three of us started working together, four years ago on this, we decided to go with Agora Crisis Center.”

The center’s crisis hotline operated by about 120 trained volunteers is open from 6 a.m. to midnight daily, and can be reached by calling 505-277-3013.

“Anyone from anywhere in the country can call and talk to us about anything from ‘I’m having a hard day at school’ to ‘I’m in a mental health crisis and feeling suicidal, I need to talk to someone right now,’ ” said Dasie Kent, Agora Crisis Center director. “We’re free, confidential, and when people call us they’ll talk to a volunteer who is on their own time trying to help these people. And our volunteers are specially trained 40 hours in crisis intervention, communication, and suicide intervention.”

One dollar of every pint and 20-ounce pour of Elixir Ale benefits the crisis center. The breweries rotate creating the benefit beer annually. This year, the beer was brewed at Canteen Brewhouse.

“It’s a wheat ale brewed with oat malts as well,” said Zach Guilmette, head brewer at Canteen Brewhouse. “(It has a) very nice smooth, wheaty, cereal flavor, and then it is infused with chamomile, to give it a nice chamomile aroma and flavor on the nose. It is a nice simple ale. It should be a hit.”

Elixir Ale will be available on tap at Albuquerque’s High and Dry Brewing, 529 Adams Street NE, Canteen Brewhouse, 2381 Aztec Road NE, and Canteen Taproom, 417 Tramway Blvd. NE, as well as Steel Bender Brewyard, 8305 Second Street NW, in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque.

“People are not necessarily getting the help they need,” said Jamie Schwebach, general manager at Canteen Brewhouse. “And in some cases, I think we are ashamed of not being perfect. We live in a society where we need to be the best. We have to put our best foot forward all the time and that’s hard. You can’t do that all the time. Agora is there and they’re there anytime you need them and it’s an open conversation. I think it’s beautiful how in New Mexico we have this great relationship with the breweries where they come together for a cause. I think it’s great to see.”

In addition to Elixir Ale sales, adult coloring nights will be held at each of the locations except the Canteen Taproom. The first coloring night took place at High and Dry Brewing on Nov. 9. The second adult coloring night will begin at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 14, at Steel Bender Brewyard and end with the final coloring night from 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, at Canteen Brewhouse. Live music by The Chachalacas will be part of each of the coloring events. Agora representatives also will be onsite. Coloring sheets will be handed out during each event and coloring materials will be provided. A minimum donation of $5 is suggested.

Proceeds benefit the crisis center. More information on training programs can be found at agoracares.org.

“We just want to spread the word about situations that may be psychotic and how to give people the tools they need to help support someone,” Kent said. “In terms of the training, we go wherever people want to hear us. We are local, here in Albuquerque, so we really focus on that area, but we do have the goal of trying to reach our rural population in New Mexico. That rural population tends to struggle the most with suicide rates.”