On a rain-heavy afternoon, when Bali’s roads slow to a crawl and the drains begin to look like rivers, there’s an instinctive habit to pause, crack something cold, and wait it out. It’s in unpolished and unscripted moments like these that Beer for Beaches was born.
The inspiration comes from Pemuteran – not from the postcard version, but from its community. Plastic-Free Pemuteran is a village-run initiative grounded in consistency: collecting, sorting, and recording waste so it doesn’t disappear into a ditch or drift back out to sea. Community members head to the shoreline in the morning and afternoon because the shores bring back more than fish now.
The format is simple: choose a beach and bring cold beers. Before anything else, spend 30-45 minutes walking the tideline to collect trash with tongs and bags. If there’s rain, sorting happens under cover. Once the work is done, the group sits together, lets the afternoon breathe, and enjoys a beer that suits the weather – either Cerveza or Pale Ale – while conversation starts up naturally.
What makes the initiative resonate is where the impact lands. At every Beer for Beaches gathering, 100% of proceeds from Beaches beer sales go directly to Plastic-Free Pemuteran via their BUMDes bank account, turning a good afternoon into steady support for the local beach crews.
Beer for Beaches is rooted in how people already live in Bali: gathering on the beach, enjoying good times, and sharing an icy cold beer. In a loud, easily unravelling season, it offers a grounded way to be present. A short window on the sand becomes a shared room that is friendly, practical, and open to all.
Participants leave refreshed because the beer matches the heat, and each sip contributes to keeping Bali’s beaches welcoming for whoever arrives next. The feeling is one of inclusion and ease, with the knowledge that enjoyment and responsibility aren’t mutually exclusive.
The Beer for Beaches initiative has already made its way through Kedungu, Pemuteran, Jakarta, and Uluwatu, with plans to continue moving along the coast month by month. The rules stay the same: arrive, help, enjoy something cold, and leave things better than before. For the love of beer, and the beaches that make Bali what it is.
Beaches for Beer is a free event; everyone is welcome to join. Participants must be 21+ for alcohol consumption.
For more information, visit @beachesbeerbali.
