Steel Bender Brewyard, M’tucci’s Restaurants team up with Policy IPA - here's where you can find it

Two well-known entities in Albuquerque’s food and beverage scene are teaming up to support a good cause this summer.

For the entire month of July, Steel Bender Brewyard and M’tucci’s Restaurants (along with sister establishment Teddy Roe’s) will donate 100% of proceeds from sales of Teddy Roe’s Policy IPA to benefit Mandy’s Farm, a Los Ranchos de Albuquerque-based nonprofit that “empowers individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to create fulfilling lives through supportive and accessible housing, meaningful employment and valued community connections.” The sales are part of the “GIVING: It’s Our Policy” campaign.

In addition to being available at those locations, the beer — complete with a special commemorative label — will also be sold at 18 Albertsons stores throughout Albuquerque and Rio Rancho.

Steel Bender and M’tucci’s previously worked together on a wheat beer in 2023 before shifting to the IPA, which has a 7.8% alcohol by volume and boasts flavors of “sweet candied orange, grapefruit, pineapple and stone fruit with a soft mouthfeel and balanced resinous finish,” according to the Steel Bender website. Teddy Roe’s Policy IPA has been a hit since its official release in early 2024, so it was an ideal choice to have the beer carry the torch for this particular charity collaboration.

“It is very crushable,” Shelby Chant, Steel Bender co-owner/marketing director, said. “It’s one of my favorites. I do periodically like the palate blasters of an IPA, but really, if I’m going to sit around and have a couple of them, I do want something that has got a little bit more of a juicy fruit forward and then ending with that nice bitter hop at the end. It’s a complex beer without being too complex.

“It’s just, for me, a really interesting and well-thought-out IPA.”

Both Steel Bender and M’tucci’s have been heavily involved in the community over the years. The hope is to make this an annual campaign, with different charities supported each year. In this instance, Mandy’s Farm hits especially close to home for M’tucci’s President and Co-founder John Haas.

“Their mission has always resonated strongly for me,” he said. “I grew up in a rural farming community in central Iowa. I have had three close family members who have developmental disabilities. I think what Mandy’s Farm does is special, and I truly appreciate just how much of an impact their mission has on the families and everyone involved.”

The funds from the collaboration will go toward helping Mandy’s Farm’s new campaign entitled “Building Belonging,” which is dedicated to raising funds and awareness for affordable and accessible housing within the disability community.

“We have secured four acres of land in the South Valley, where we will build four thoughtfully designed homes to meet this pressing need,” Melissa McCue, Mandy’s Farm executive director, said. “For young adults with autism and other disabilities, having a place to call home is more than just shelter — it’s a foundation for agency, self-determination, and independence.

“The Policy collaboration will allow Mandy’s Farm to introduce itself to new community members who may not know about our mission and campaign.”

While Steel Bender and M’tucci’s are at the forefront of the cause, other entities are chipping in to make the endeavor possible. Admiral Beverage, which is Steel Bender’s distributor, will be integral toward getting the beer into all the Albertsons locations.

“Mandy’s Farm is a fantastic charity, and we definitely wanted to be involved with them,” Greg Brown, Admiral Beverage Corporation president, said. “Albertsons United has a long history of giving back to this community. It was a natural fit for us to partner with Albertsons.”

Chant says that Policy is one of the brewyard’s more expensive beers to produce, so hop donations from Hollingbery & Son, Hopsteiner and Yakima Chief Hops helped to ease that burden, while all 4,400 labels were a donation from Blue Label Packaging. Meanwhile, 100.3 The Peak will host a special event on the July 1 launch day at an Albertsons location featuring radio personalities and free samples.

“When you’re in a position where you can do something special like this … it’s just something that’s so rewarding,” Chant said. “The hard work is absolutely all worth it. This is the best part of my job.”

Steel Bender Brewyard, M’tucci’s Restaurants team up with Policy IPA benefitting Mandy's Farm