Collab Fest, here we come.
The fourth annual Collaboration Festival, America's Most Creative Beer Festival, is Saturday, March 25 at Denver's National Western Complex. Here's the lowdown on the #CollabFest17 beers brewed by our partner breweries. If you need more information about the following, give us a shout at coop@radcraftbeer.com.
Representatives from each of Colorado Brewers Guild board member breweries came together on the festival welcome beer Board’s In Session.
"The CBG board wanted to create a beer that embodies the creative spirit of the Colorado craft beer industry," said press release from the Guild. "The result is an easy-drinking pale ale with hints of tropical fruit and citrus called Board’s in Session, an all Colorado beer featuring local malt from Colorado Malting Company, Cascade and Crystal hops from High Wire Hops, and a yeast strain from Brewing Science Institute. This beer comes in at 4.5 percent alcohol by volume, and will open up attendee’s palates to the rest of the festival’s libations. "
CBG Board Breweries include Strange Craft Beer Co, Ska Brewing, Left Hand Brewing Company, Pikes Peak Brewing Company, Funkwerks, Odell Brewing Company, New Belgium Brewing Company, Upslope Brewing Company, Renegade Brewing Company, Bristol Brewing Company and Pagosa Brewing Company.
Strange Craft Beer Company worked with Freetail Brewing out of San Antonio, Texas to make StrangeTail VI: Pale Lager, a smooth-drinking, hop-forward craft Lager brewed with Colorado-grown Chinook and Northwest Lemondrop hops for a thirst-quenching finish.
Lone Tree Brewing Co. and Platt Park Brewing Co. crafted Unicorn Nectar ISB. This collab is a Steam Beer or California Common, one of the first truly American styles of beer. The brewers adding a healthy dose of hop bitterness and flavor. The beer will a clean, full bodied amber with notes of biscuit and a slight touch of sweetness, surrounded by copious amounts of earthy hop flavors.
Station 26. got with the Colorado Brewers Guild and Denver's community of independently owned restaurants EatDenver to craft this food-friendly White IPA brewed with culinary ingredients— mandarin orange, coriander, and fennel. Station 26 also made Diese Scheiße ist Ananas, an imperial pineapple Berliner Weisse, with 4 Hands Brewing from St. Louis, Missouri. Station 26 created a third Collab Fest beer with Des Moines, Iowa's Exile Brewing Company. Space Goose Super Saison is an Imperial Saison re-fermented with gooseberries and dry hopped with Galaxy hops. You heard that right, folks — three collaboration beers!
Locavore Beerworks and Chicago's Aquanaut Brewing aged their Cherry Hammer, an American Brown Ale, on cherries and cocoa nibs in Deerhammer Single Malt Whiskey barrels.
Spice Trade Brewing collaborated with Denver's new Cheluna Brewing Company at the Stanley Marketplace on the Empress Mora Imperial Stout, a 10% ABV Imperial Stout aged in Infinite Monkey Theorem Cabernet Sauvignon barrels with blackberries. The addition of simple culinary ingredients added complexity to this rich dessert beer. Notes of grape and dark fruit are prominent, and complemented by the beer's dark malt profile.
The Golden breweries usually get together for at least one Collab Fest beer. Barrels + Bottles Brewery, Golden City Brewing, and Golden's new gluten-free brewery Holidaily Brewing made this year's collaboration, which might have one of the better names at the fest. The Beard, The Fro & The Ponytail is named after a distinctive feature of each of our brewer’s. The brewer’s worked together to select one style of hops each would work with. They each brewed a batch at their own facility. The final product is a blend of all three beers in a delicious hop-focused, smooth drinking Pale Ale named after their super-coiffed 'dos.
Didn't get tickets to the festival?
Breweries across the state will host special tappings of their Collaboration Fest beers on Friday, March 24 as part of the Statewide Collaboration Fest Tailgate. Visit coloradobeer.org for a list of tailgate events, and a comprehensive guide for Colorado Craft Beer Week events.