PITTSBURGH — 412 Food Rescue has teamed up with Velum Fermentation to launch “Saved by the Berry,” a hard cider made from nearly 10,000 pounds of recovered strawberries and mixed berries.
The new libation will debut at a “Now That’s What I Call 90s!” party on Thursday, July 9, 2026, at Velum’s brewery in Pittsburgh’s Southside.
412 Food Rescue, which was founded in 2015, is the country’s largest volunteer food rescue organization. With a community of more than 26,000 volunteers, it has diverted more than 39 million pounds of food from the waste stream in Western Pennsylvania, equivalent to more than 33 million meals. These efforts have mitigated more than 83 million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.
The organization frequently partners with local businesses to upcycle food that might otherwise go to waste. Past collaborations include an IPA brewed with rescued bread and an ice cream made with rescued bananas.
The “Now That’s What I Call 90s!” party at Velum Fermentation will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will feature 90s tunes, free pickleball on Velum’s courts and raffle baskets. A best-dressed contest will award the winner a $50 Velum gift card and a case of beer or cider.
Each ticket to the event includes two drinks from the menu. Ten percent of the proceeds from sales of the “Saved by the Berry” cider will directly support 412 Food Rescue’s ongoing work to combat food waste and food insecurity.
Jenna McLaughlin, owner and chief operating officer of Velum Fermentation, expressed gratitude for the partnership.
“We are incredibly grateful to 412 Food Rescue for entrusting us with more than 9,000 pounds of rescued berries and for being such an impactful community partner,” McLaughlin said. She added that the collaboration shows “what’s possible when organizations come together with a shared commitment to reducing waste, supporting local communities and creating something meaningful.”
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