February 26, 2024
Courtesy/Terrill Haigler
Ya Fave Lager will go on sale Wednesday and features a cartoon depiction of Terrill Haigler, better known as Ya Fave Trashman.
A new community partnership brings a whole new meaning to talking trash over some beers.
Terrill Haigler, better known by his online moniker Ya Fav Trashman, is a sanitation activist and founder of Trash to Treasure, a nonprofit collecting trash and cleaning up the city. (You might also remember him from last year’s council run.) He’s teaming up with Kensington brewery Human Robot to create “Ya Fav Lager,” a beer to raise money for minority brewers. The beer will launch Wednesday and be featured at the brewery's annual Logjammin' fundraiser event on June 1.
Ya Fav Lager is a Kolsch-style beer with a cartoon depiction of Haigler on the can. Haigler said 2,500 cans will be available for purchase to start and more will be produced if the first batch sells well. All the proceeds will benefit the Michael James Jackson Foundation, which awards grants and scholarships to Black, Indigenous and people of color who work in brewing and distilling.
“I'm not a beer drinker, but I know I love people who are doing great things in the community, and [Human Robot] is always trying to collaborate with different community members, different community organizations to help push their message," Haigler said.
Jake Atkinson, co-founder of Human Robot, said the brewery has hosted it’s Logjammin’ event to benefit the foundation annually, but it’s never actually made money. Typically, the event breaks even and the brewery donates $5,000 out of pocket. But this year, he’s hoping to really make a difference with the partnership with Haigler.
“We're good at making beer, we're not good fundraisers,” Atkinson said. “[Haigler] was just a perfect fit to our front man, if you will, or just a great partner to be able to help raise money.”
The more cans that are purchased, Haigler said, the more money gets donated. Haigler and Human Robot hope to raise $100,000 in can sales, event tickets and other donations. There are a lot of barriers for people of color who want to pursue brewing and distilling, Haigler said. Philly's first Black-owned brewery, Two Locals, opened this year. Though Haigler normally works in environmental justice and sanitation, he said he takes any chance to aid the community.
"It brings me nothing but joy to know that the work that Human Robot is doing and that the Michael James Jackson Foundation is doing, I'm just a small part of it," Haigler said. "I've told them, 'I'm just the gas in the car, you guys are the machine.'"
Haigler will be signing and raffling off cans at a launch event Wednesday at 1710 N 5th St. Cans will be available at Human Robot’s locations in Kensington, South Philly, Jenkintown and Center City for $16 per four-pack.
After drinking the beer, Haigler did offer some advice about disposing of the cans.
"If they're not going to keep them as souvenirs, they should wash them out, let them dry and recycle them," he said.
