Drinking for charity: the rise of the philanthropub.

• Author: Beato, Greg
• Position: Oregon Public House

At the Oregon Public House, every sip of barrel-aged imperial stout and apricot-tinged hard cider takes the edge off a cold, harsh world. And not just because many of the craft brews served by the recently opened Portland pub boast a higher alcohol content than a bottle of Budweiser.

This establishment is a "philanthropub." Along with the brews, a variety of non-profits are on tap here, too. When you place your order at the bar, you don't just choose beer, wine, or food. You also choose an organization such as Friends of the Children or Friends of Trees, which gets the profit from your order. In its first six weeks of operation after opening in May 2013, the Oregon Public House donated a total of $3,842.80 to eight local charities. Other philanthropubs have been established in Washington, D.C., and Houston, Texas.

These days, halos of virtue are poised to enlighten virtually any consumer impulse. A new pair of ivory linen strappy wedges from Toms can help reduce footborne parasitic diseases in Ethiopia. Your new hipster eyewear from Warby Parker mitigates astigmatism in Paraguay. The Oregon Public House takes this 21st century feel-goodism to an intoxicating new level--you can literally get hammered while you down yet another lager on behalf of Habitat for Humanity.

For anyone who believes that social justice cannot truly be effective unless it's painful, complicated, and compulsory--not to mention highly dependent on government bureaucrats operating outside the realm of market forces--enterprises like the Oregon Public House are no doubt anathema. But for anyone who sees the virtue in making efforts to improve the world accessible, enjoyable, and culturally embedded in the most pervasive and quotidian ways, philanthropubs are yet another sign that consumer autonomy and grassroots democracy are thriving these days. In the span of a few hours at the Oregon Public House, you can help a tiny sapling reach its full potential as an American Yellowwood Tree, fight child sex trafficking, catalyze economic development in Oregon's low-income communities, and underwrite microloans for people living in a Nicaraguan garbage dump. And all you have to do is lift your glass .Prosit'.

Consumer charity mainstreams the lavish fundraising dinners that have long been a staple dish in the rarified realms of Big Philanthropy. That a neighborhood pub is the setting for such democratization is especially fitting. In general we tend to overmeasure the social ills...