What a Hurricane Taught a Soda Company About Resilience
When Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina back in 2024, it didn’t just flood roads and topple trees. It cracked open what “normal” looked like for us.
We’re a soda company. At least, that’s what we thought we were. But overnight, our little brewery and taproom became a hub for hundreds of people who didn’t have clean drinking water. Pallets of canned water, food, and more were stacked higher than we’d ever seen, not with soda but with supplies. Our staff, many of whom were dealing with their own damaged homes showed up anyway. We worked shoulder to shoulder with neighbors, breweries, and strangers who quickly became family.
It wasn’t glamorous. It was sweaty, muddy, and exhausting. But it was also the clearest reminder of why we started Devil’s Foot in the first place: community.
From Survival Mode to Sipping Again
When the dust settled, we asked ourselves: what now? Going back to “our normal stuff” didn’t feel right. So, we decided to keep some of that hurricane grit alive in our products.
We started making beverages tied directly to recovery, drinks that didn’t just taste good but did good. Like our Blackberry Sparkling Water with NoDa Brewing, which supports Asheville GreenWorks’ environmental efforts. Or our Blackberry Blueberry Lemonade with Bear’s Smokehouse, fueling mental health support for food & beverage workers. Even our Chai Tea & Lemon made with Asheville Tea Co., born in the weeks after the storm, carries that reminder that resilience can be refreshing.
Each can tells a story: of neighbors stepping up, of collaboration over competition, of small businesses refusing to quit.
Bigger Than a Storm
The thing is, our story isn’t unique. Every community has small businesses that act as backbones, whether it’s a corner store keeping lights on during a blackout, or a family restaurant serving hot meals when the power grid goes dark.
For us, Hurricane Helene just made it impossible to ignore. We learned resilience isn’t about bouncing back to what you were before. It’s about reshaping yourself into what your community needs next.
So yes, we’re still a soda company and always will be, but we’re also proof that even in the middle of chaos, something sweet can rise up. And we’ll keep pouring that resilience one can at a time.