Stony Creek Brewery released its Area of Operations (AO) Lager, a new beer developed in collaboration with the Afghanistan Iraq Veterans War Memorial Fund, a nonprofit organization established to create a memorial to honor veterans who served in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Dichello Distributors, along with Stony Creek Brewery and guests, celebrated the launch of AO at the Branford-based brewery on Nov. 10, which included a tasting, debuting just before Veterans Day. At 5.2% ABV, AO Lager is a traditional Dortmunder lager brewed in the classic German style with an American twist, which creates an appealing lager with spicy, herbal notes. David Vieira, an Army veteran who was deployed to Afghanistan in 2010, formed the war memorial fund in May 2022 along with other veterans to pursue the effort of building the memorial and was on hand for the celebrations. The memorial would be Connecticut’s first memorial honoring Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans, the names given to those who fought in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. The monument is planned to be constructed at the War Memorial site at Rogers Park in Danbury.

Photos 1 and 3 courtesy of Stony Creek Brewery.