While it is arguably not the best method for coming to terms with stress and tragedy, drinking ranks among the very oldest coping mechanisms for dealing with life. Breweries from Maine, New England and beyond seemed to recognize this when they put together the charity event “Buy Boston a Beer.”

The event raised $8,800 for One Fund, the official charity for victims of the Boston Marathon bombing on Monday, April 15. In the wake of an unbelievable tragedy in the birthplace of the American Revolution, nothing could be more appropriate to bring people together.

Within 24 hours of the bombings, Belfast-based Marshall Wharf Brewing pledged to make its full inventory of canned beers available for an event in Boston, via BeerAdvocate.com. “Let’s help heal Boston with beer!” was the rallying cry.

With help from Jack’s Abby Brewing in Framingham, Mass., breweries in Bar Harbor, Cambridge, California and Portland quickly pulled together to make the event happen. By Wednesday, April 17, nearly 30 breweries had sent beer or raffle prizes for the fundraiser. Many brewers donated aged brews from their personal collections to be raffled at The Tavern Framingham, where the event was held.

It goes without saying that Boston is a beer town, and Boston’s beer drinkers, regardless of their brand loyalty, are a community. The proof is in Boston’s history. From the pilgrims who had to stop in Plymouth because they ran out of beer on their voyage to the new world to the puritans who fostered the first “publick houses,” Massachusetts has been brewing since its first days as a colony of England.

But long before beer was produced on the scale we enjoy today, beer was brewed and served in the public houses that doubled as community centers. Unsurprisingly, the relationships, discussions and community that public houses made possible were among the ingredients that led to the colonial uprising against the British.

In anything but a smooth transition, the influx of Irish immigrants around the time of the Civil War deepened and broadened Boston’s love of beer. One need only walk down a street in Beantown to understand how deep Ireland’s influence goes and see how many historic pubs there are. In the 1920s, prohibition slowed beer production and forced many breweries to close, but it didn’t take long for beer to make a comeback.

The Puritans, revolutionaries, immigrants and bootleggers all speak to Boston’s history of resilience and independence, as well as its trademark combativeness — historically speaking, if you mess with Boston you’re going to have a bad time.

Many breweries are built on this heritage. One in particular is Samuel Adams, which was avanguard of the craft brewing movement. Their success helped make the growth of microbreweries across the nation possible. The founder, Jim Koch, kept pitching craft beer until he became one of its central figures who helped return Boston to prominence in the brewing world. Samuel Adams already brews a beer called 26.2, which is only offered during the Boston Marathon.

But like other breweries, Sam Adams is likely to brew a tribute beer in the wake of the attack. Harpoon Brewing Company has extended the hours of their tasting room in a series of “Brewed for Boston Nights,” where all beer and food sales will be donated to the One Fund as well. Brewers across New England were quick to show solidarity and support via social media.

The fact is Boston is a “brewing community” just as much as it is a political community. Brewers are noted for helping each other during hop shortages and breakdowns and regularly assist each other in problem solving. Brewers see each other regularly at beer festivals and events. Beyond the brewers, beer drinkers are also a community, and Boston is one of the symbolic homes for craft beer. For brewers, it was a simple matter of extending their concern to the people of the city after the shock of a terrorist attack.

In a moment of crisis, it isn’t always the case that grabbing a six-pack of beer is the sign of a self-destructive coping mechanism — sometimes the act of grabbing a pint with a friend, talking things through over a few beers or buying a beer for someone as a gesture of good faith is as close as anyone can get to feeling “normal” again. And in triumph or in defeat we often raise a glass. So buy a beer for Boston; or, if you don’t drink, raise a glass anyway.