An increasing number of Island residents, including families with children, are grappling with the often invisible yet serious issue of hunger relief, spurring higher requests for vital food assistance. Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery is helping to address the problem by donating $5,000 to the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club for their Healthy Happy Kids (H2K) after school food program that serves 29,000 meals to hungry children. The program also provides take-home food bags and fresh produce for every child and their families each week.
The Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club, open since 1937, provides a much-needed place for youth to spend quality time during non-school hours and the summer as an alternative to being home alone. The Club’s Healthy Happy Kids (H2K) food program is crucial because some of the children’s last meals could have been as early as 11 a.m. at school.
“We believe it is our privilege and responsibility to give back and help our local community,” said Jonathan Blum, CEO, Founder and sole owner of Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery based in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, MA. “Our mission from day one has been to create excellent craft beers and be a socially-responsible company that puts community first by donating the first portion of profits to hunger-relief charities located where our beer is served,” said Blum.
“The Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club is thrilled to receive the significant donation of $5,000 from Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery for our Healthy Happy Kids after school food program,” said Jessie Damroth, Chief Executive Officer, Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club, Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard, MA. “Their donation will go a long way to help our mission to provide 26,000 much-needed meals, plus take-home food bags and fresh produce to hundreds of children and their families. We applaud their mission to set aside their first profits for hunger relief,” said Damroth who added that Point Break Reality will match Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery donation by 50 percent.
Since the Company began in 2013, Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery has donated substantial profits to Island food relief programs, including the Island Food Pantry and the Boys & Girls Clubs, along with a number of other charitable donations to many Island organizations.
In addition to donating to hunger-relief charities, Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery helps the community by purchasing as many local ingredients as possible from Island farms and makers to create their award-winning craft beers. They also give local farmers their spent grains for livestock feed. Giving back through a variety of ways is the ‘Do Good’ part of the Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery ‘Get Bad. Do Good.’ Company motto.
“It is great to work for a company that contributes to the community that I was born and raised in,” said Josh Flanders, Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery General Manager, who attended Oak Bluffs Elementary school. “I’m lucky to be in a position not to worry where my next meal is coming from and at Bad Martha, we won’t forget about our fellow Islanders who don’t have that luxury.”
Throughout his career, Blum has been an advocate in the fight against hunger, attacking the problem on a local and global level. While as senior executive at Yum! Brands, he spearheaded the creation of World Hunger Relief, the world’s largest public-private partnership with The United Nations World Food Programme and other hunger relief agencies. The initiative provided 2.6 billion meals for people in need by raising over $640 million in cash and food donations in the fight against global hunger and created a massive volunteer effort as well.
Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery
Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery is recognized for its distinctive, award-winning, craft beers that have won twelve international medals since 2014. All Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery beer is uniquely brewed with hand-picked wild grape leaves grown on Martha’s Vineyard, so there’s a piece of the Island’s soul infused in every sip.
The first Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery opened in Edgartown in 2014 and quickly became a top destination for thousands of craft beer fans annually. The early success led to expansion to bars, retail locations, festivals and events on and off the Island and a second brewhouse that opened in Falmouth, MA in September of 2019.
Visitors to Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery can enjoy free samples of the award-winning beers including seasonal varieties, purchase brew by the glass or a flight paddle and even take home a growler (64 oz. glass container) or a crowler (32 oz. can) or 4-pack, 16 oz. cans of select styles.
Master Brewer Jacobi Reid selects the freshest and finest local ingredients from surrounding farms, making about 50 different craft beers throughout the year so there is always something new and exciting to enjoy. There are generally up to 10 beer varieties on tap in Edgartown and 16 on tap in Falmouth. Ingredients include fruits and berries (cranberries, blueberries, beach plums, wild cherries and strawberries), Organic honey, chocolate, oysters and roasted coffee beans among others.
The Edgartown location has a 7-barrel brewing system and is open seasonally. The Falmouth location, open year-round, has a 15-barrel brewing system that can easily be augmented to
30-barrels and includes a new, state-of-the-art canning line to expand production capability and product availability throughout the mainland and the Island. It is the only brewery in Cape Cod to have its own canning production line.
The Company now brews and cans all its own beer in the new Falmouth location and will continue to brew beer on premise at Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery in Edgartown for consumption in the taproom there.
Both brewhouses are surrounded by beautiful landscaping, flowers, native plants, hops and herbs and have lush, beer garden atmospheres. Guests will find plentiful indoor and outdoor patio seating to enjoy the different seasons, tasting bars flanked with Bad Martha mermaid bar taps and life-size sculptures of the mischievous Bad Martha mermaid herself. The Falmouth location has a wood-burning firepit and outdoor space heaters to keep guests cozy on chilly fall and spring days.
The Falmouth brewhouse also has big screen televisions so customers can enjoy watching sports. The Chef there prepares popular Brick Kiln-Fired Pizzas, Charcuterie (Meat) Platters, Cheese Platters, Veggie Platters and Bar Snacks (Pretzel Torpedoes with Beer Mustard and Beer Cheese, Soup of the Day, Bowl O Chowdah and Beer-Marinated Bacon Strips).
The Edgartown brewhouse Chef also offers delicious Charcuterie Platters, Cheese Platters and Veggie Platters. The food is perfectly paired with the delicious craft beers.
The Company has exciting plans brewing for 2020 so stay tuned by visiting BadMarthaBeer.com for more information, including seasonal menus for dine-in or take-out. Both locations have bike racks plus ample parking and the buildings are handicap accessible.
The Falmouth location’s in-season hours are 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week. It is centrally located at 876 East Falmouth Highway, East Falmouth, MA 02536. (508) 444-6571.
The flagship Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery on Martha’s Vineyard is open seasonally from May through Columbus Day from 12 p.m. to 9 p.m., and on weekends in November and December, Friday through Sunday, 12 p.m. – 7 p.m. It is centrally located at 270 Upper Main Street, Edgartown, MA 02539. (508) 939-4415.
Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery
Jonathan Blum, CEO, Founder and sole owner of Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery, resides on Martha’s Vineyard. He decided to retire early after 23 years as a senior executive at Yum! Brands and PepsiCo to follow his dream and focus on building Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery into a successful craft beer brand. He launched Bad Martha beer in 2012 at Boston’s Baseball Tavern and opened the flagship Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery in 2014 in Edgartown, Martha’s Vineyard followed by Falmouth in 2019.
Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery Beer Flavors Rotate Regularly – visit https://www.badmarthabeer.com/ to see updated offerings. Examples include:
- Snake Charmer – New England IPA
The hot new craft beer style of choice, New England IPA, will be headlining Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery new beers headed for year-round availability and future canning. The IPA is packed full of Citra and Mosaic hops making this brew delightfully fruity and with a bit of citrus bite. 5.5% ABV.
- Double Hoppiness – Double New England IPA
Another new beer added to Bad Martha’s year-round lineup that is a bit bigger and packs even more flavor than the Snake Charmer. Made using Centennial and Amarillo hops, this beer is still very fruit forward with a little earthy hop character. 7.5% ABV.
- Martha’s Belgian Wit – Belgian Wit
A classic recipe perfected on the Island that moved to Falmouth. This hearty Belgian beer is made using orange peel and coriander. It has a medium body with wonderful orange juice flavors and a hint of coriander spice. 4.6% ABV.
- Farmhouse Lavender Saison – Saison
A new take on a traditional French farmhouse beer. Brewed with all traditional ingredients for a Saison but aged on lavender and rosemary grown by Mahoney’s nursery right next to the new Falmouth location. 6.2% ABV.
- On the Half Shell – Imperial Oyster Stout
Brewed on Martha’s Vineyard with Martha’s Vineyard oysters. Take an old school Imperial Stout recipe full of Oats and Chocolate malt, add in two bushels of locally harvested oysters, and you have a desert in a glass. A rich dark chocolate flavor, with a hint of sea salt, and a full body beer, your taste buds will be in heaven. (There will also be a few kegs that are put on Nitro to give this beer and even creamier and smooth mouthfeel.) 8.5% ABV.
- Pursuit of Hoppiness – New England IPA
The IPA is an experimental beer with rotating hops. Always brewed with the same malts and yeast, but every batch has different hops to always keep something new. Sometimes there are flavors of citrus and tropical fruits, other times it is very floral with hints of stone fruit. Make sure you keep coming back to try it over and over to find out which one you like best.
- Shark Bite – Cucumber and Jalapeno Lager
This light larger packs a big bite but finishes off smooth. The first sip starts with a jalapeno burn that quickly cools off with a fresh cucumber finish. With a very light body and so much flavor you will come back for sip after sip. 5.6% ABV.
- Coast Ale – Light Hoppy Ale
The beer was a collaboration between Bad Martha and a popular, local Falmouth band. It is a light-bodied beer packed with Citra hops to give it a great citrus hoppy flavor. A very easy drinking brew to go along with some of your favorite tunes. 5% ABV.
- (508) IPA –American Style IPA
Named after the Island’s eponymous area code, this beer is brewed with Warrior, Citra and Mosaic hops, has 7% ABV with 70 IBU’s and aromatics of grapefruit and tangerines. The flavor profile is tropical fruit and citrus with a subtle hint of a biscuit malt backbone and finishes off with a little hop bite but no lasting bitterness. It is delicious alone or paired with food including spicy dishes such as ethnic foods, pizza or pasta.
- Martha’s Vineyard Ale – English Special Bitters
Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery flagship beer teases the senses with a devilishly dark honey hue, a smooth caramel flavor and a seductive floral aroma. Brewed with premium English malt, the finest English and American hops, Martha’s Vineyard Ale lures you in with an approachable flavor and light to medium body and has 5.3% ABV. It is delicious to drink with steak, burgers, sandwiches, tacos and burritos.
- Vineyard Summer Ale has 4.8% ABV and is made with premium Pilsner malt and Saaz hops to provide a bright golden glow, clean pilsner malt flavor and subtle Bartlett pear aromatics. The beer’s refreshing, light body makes it the perfect ale to pair with seafood, shellfish or chicken dishes.
Bad Martha Farmer’s Brewery Has Earned Twelve Beer Industry Awards Since 2014
Gold Awards
Martha’s Vineyard Ale (ESB Category) – Two-Time Winner
Martha’s Vineyard Export Lager (Dortmunder Category)
Martha’s Vineyard Pumpkin Pie Bock (Fruit & Spice Lager Category)
Silver Awards
Cucumber Jalapeno Kolsch (Fruit & Spice Lager Category)
Silver for Bad Martha’s Vineyard Summer Ale (Light Ale-Golden Category)
Bronze Awards
Martha’s Vineyard White IPA (Belgian Witbier Category)
Martha’s Vineyard, Tim’s Beach Plum Ale (Fruit & Spice Belgian Category)
Martha’s Vineyard, Roscoe’s Brown Ale (Brown-Porter Category)
Martha’s Vineyard Belgian Blonde (Belgian-Saison Category)
Pumpkin Pie Bock (Fruit & Spice Belgian Category) 
Bourbon Barrel Aged Strong Ale (Old Ale/Strong Ale Category)
Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club
The mission of the Martha’s Vineyard Boys & Girls Club is to provide quality programs, education and services to the Island-wide youth population that will prepare them for healthy and productive lives through professionally-developed programs that help to develop self-esteem, leadership skills, personal values, and mutual respect, in fun and safe environments. The Club services children from Kindergarten through High School, Monday-Friday from 2:40 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. in the summer. The Club is located at 44 Robinson Road, Edgartown, MA 02593. https://mvbgclub.org/
About Bad Martha’s Lore
In 1602, mischievous winds drove Bartholomew Gosnold’s ship to Martha’s Vineyard. As legend has it, he scoured the Island for ingredients to brew ale for his crew. Alas, he found none…and he fell asleep on the shore one evening. Under the light of the moon, he awoke to a sensuous mermaid with jet black hair and a devilish grin. Sitting at water’s edge, she beckoned to Gosnold. The closer he got, the further she swam away – tempting him to follow. So, he did. Finally, he found himself in a field brimming with lush Island grapes. These would be perfect for wine, he thought. But nay, he was a good Englishman, so these grapes became the secret ingredient for a robust, refreshing beer. Gosnold never saw the mermaid again. He went to his grave wondering if he ever saw her at all. Today, we brew every handcrafted beer as Gosnold did, with grape leaves harvested on the Vineyard and a splash of mermaid mischief. Naturally, we had no choice but to name our beer after the elusive siren who started it all. Bad Martha.
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