Tony Hawk / Black Plague Instagram

It’s so, SoCal…A skateboarding legend like Tony Hawk making a beer with an Oceanside, California brewery founded by skateboarders for skateboarders and beer lovers.

Here’s the deal….

Tony Hawk is an American professional skateboarder, actor and the owner of the skateboard company Birdhouse Skateboards. And now you can add brewer to his list of side-gigs.

And given that he lives in one of the nation’s most vital craft brewing regions, it’s surprising it hasn’t happened sooner.

Maybe it was about finding the right partner, a brewery that gets skateboarders and the skateboarder lifestyle…

Enter Black Plague Brewing….

Founded in 2015 by Jordan Hoffart along with Jarred Doss Black Plague has long channeled the skateboarder ethos and lifestyle.

After all, Hoffart is a professional skateboarder who has played a major role in the skateboard industry for over 10 years. He has competed and won televised championships all over the world, and worked with major media networks such as Fox & NBC Sports.

And co-Founder, Jarred Doss is equally SoCal. He’s a street artist / entrepreneur and the CEO at Black Plague where he oversees all brewery operations including branding, packaging, web & social, facility design, merchandise & apparel.

So as far as skateboarder street cred…Black Plague’s got it….But it also has beer cred to spare…

In June Black Plague took home a gold medal at the San Diego International Beer Competition for its American-style Hazy Pale Ale, Hazy Scandal. A big win, in an uber-hot category, in a region with nearly 130 cutting-edge breweries.

And the fact the brewery is backed by a whole family of pro-skateboarder investors (including Tony Hawk himself) made for a collaboration that had to happen.

Now the beer…

Hawk and his company, Birdhouse Skateboards, teamed up with Black Plague Brewing and delivered Tony Hawps Birdhouse IPA a 6.5% ABV floral and citrus juice-bomb.

And unlike so many celebrity collaborations, Hawks was hands on…

“Never imagined I’d get to help “design” a new beer, but my life keeps taking unexpected – and delightful – turns. This beer packs a ton of flavor”, says Tony Hawk.

Tony Hawps IPA is set to release on July 20th at the Black Plague taproom in Oceanside and at select bars, restaurants, and retail stores throughout Southern California.

All image credits: Black Plague Brewing