Emily Hutto 8/27/23 Emily Hutto 8/27/23

Fresh Beer, Iconic Music, and Art All Over: Ska Brewing Is 28 Years Old

DURANGO, CO— Many of Ska Brewing’s friends in the beer, music, and art industries will gather on September 8 and 9 in Durango, Colorado to celebrate 28 years of Ska beer. The weekend of shenanigans will include an art show by the one-and-only Nan Coffey, multiple collaboration beers, and the annual Brewers Invitational and Anniversary party that Fishbone will headline.

Now for the second year, San Diego-based contemporary artist Nan Coffey will make a ska-punk-rock pilgrimage to Durango to help Ska kick off the anniversary weekend with an art show on the second floor of Ska’s World Headquarters. Nan’s style that she calls “Art All Over” has caught the interest of many Ska and Punk bands who she’s produced art for over the years, including The Specials, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Tim Armstrong of Rancid, Less Than Jake, Frank Turner and of course, Fishbone. Meet Nan, get signed prints, and get the party started on Friday, September 8 from 4 to 7pm.

Tickets are still available for the Ska Brewing Brewers Invitational and Anniversary slated for Saturday, September 9. The celebration will feature headliner Fishbone with guests Catbite and The Dendrites, as well as 28 of Ska’s brewery friends pouring their beers. Several of these beers are collaborations made with Anarchy Brewing, Goldspot Brewing, and Guanella Pass Brewery especially for the occasion. Guests can also sample some of Ska’s newest beer releases: Double Modus Hoperandi and its fresh hopped sister featuring Billy Goat Hop Farm hops, Ska Cold Pale, and the 2023 batch of Oktoberfest.

For more information about Ska Brewing’s 28th anniversary weekend celebration, contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com. Media inquiring about The Art of Nan Coffey can contact Coffey at info@nanwashere.com.

ABOUT SKA BREWING

Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award-winning beers fueled with Ska music, and lots of it. Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans that include True Blonde, Modus Hoperandi and Rue B. Soho. For information, music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com.

Emily Hutto 2/23/23 Emily Hutto 2/23/23

Ska Brewing Reports 2022 Impact; Previews New Sustainability Initiatives

Ska Brewing is coming off of a dynamic year in business engaged in the craft beer, music, art, biking, and local Southwest Colorado communities in which it is ingrained.

Photo of Ska’s xeriscaped beer garden courtesy The Brewtography Project

DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing is coming off of a dynamic year in business engaged in the craft beer, music, art, biking, and local Southwest Colorado communities in which it is ingrained— with even bigger plans to support its community with sustainability initiatives in 2023.

Here is Ska Brewing’s 2022 Year In Review.

BEER

In 2022, Ska Brewing brewed approximately 25,000 BBL of beer that was served on tap at the brewery World Headquarters and distributed nationwide. Ska’s distribution footprint grew to 11 states last year with the addition of Wyoming in the fall.

Ska debuted several new canned beers last year, such as the new age Checkered Future IPA that brought together old school hops and new brewing techniques; Raspberry Blonde Ale that gave a fresh take on a classic style; the Faceplant Lager brewed with Tailwind Nutrition electrolytes; and the Peppermint Bark Stout crafted with Animas Chocolate Company peppermint bark. The brewery also brought back famed mainstays Mexican Logger, Oktoberfest, Euphoria Pale Ale, and Mexican Lager Style Dark.

Up next in Ska’s canned beer lineup is The Ska Lager, a snappy, crisp, bright, and easy-drinking at only 4.8% ABV. This new no-nonsense offering will hit shelves in March.

MUSIC

Ska Brewing was born out of an affinity for music, which the brewery continues to stoke by hosting Ska, punk, and other relevant bands of all shapes and sizes to play at the brewery. The legendary third wave Ska group Hepcat and opener Rude Girl Revue traveled to Durango to perform an epic show at Ska’s 27th Anniversary Party and Brewer’s Invitational.

SOUTHWEST COLORADO

Ska was a proud supporter of many events that took place in its hometown Durango, Colorado— including Durango’s annual winter festival Snowdown, the 50th anniversary of The Iron Horse Bicycle Classic, the Durango Independent Film Festival, Animas River Days, Downtown 4th of July Celebration, Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships, Thirsty 13 and many more.

Ska partnered with Fort Lewis College on multiple efforts, including a hop biotransformation research project that yielded the Skyhawk Single Hop IPA; and a hard seltzer branding deep dive with the Fennell-Saegert Student Marketing Agency.

Each year, Ska donates upwards of $50,000 in product, money and time to nonprofits organizations such as La Plata Open Space Conservancy, Manna Soup Kitchen, Fort Lewis College, United Way, KSUT, KDUR, Women’s Resource Center, LaPlata County Humane Society, and Trails 2000, among many others.

Ska Distributing continued to serve the Southwest Colorado market by bringing craft beer brands to the area from across the state and beyond, including new auditions to the portfolio: Bruz Beers and Weldwerks Brewing Co.

COMMUNITY

Outside of its hometown, Ska engaged with the beer community at large through collaborations with Living The Dream Brewing in Littleton, Colorado and Manhattan Brewing in Manhattan, Kansas.

Beyond beer and music, Ska is passionate about art— especially art that showcases Ska music. During the Ska anniversary weekend in September, Ska hosted San Diego-based artist Nan Coffey for an art show that brewery visitors can still peruse on the second floor of the building.

Beyond beer, music, and art, Ska is passionate about biking. The brewery was a sponsor for Rides & Vibes in Grand Junction, the Fruita Fat Tire Festival, and 12 Hours Mesa Verde, among others. This year, Ska is stoked to be the official beer of the Session Series, Triple Bypass, Salida76, and Beti Bike Bash by Team Evergreen Cycling.

SUSTAINABILITY

Ska has long committed to reducing waste and developing brewery and distribution systems that minimize its carbon footprint— from recycled jeans in the walls as insulation and reused bowling alley wood as tables, to solar panels, solar lighting, wind energy credits, and recycling of all cardboard, paper, plastic, glass and metal waste. Ska was one of the first craft breweries in the country to package its beer in infinitely recyclable aluminum cans, and now has many packaging systems in place to further conserve resources, including Ionized air rinse instead of water rinsing and an efficient, on-demand, de-aerated water system. These are just a few of Ska’s sustainability programs that the brewery is constantly improving upon.

In 2023, Ska is pleased to continue these efforts alongside the implementation of two sizable and unprecedented sustainability initiatives. The brewery is installing a machine that will allow for the transition of all can collars from plastic to paperboard, making Ska one of the first breweries ever to utilize this equipment in the move away from plastic packaging materials.

Secondly, Durango’s Table To Farm Compost will now be the recipient of all of Ska’s spent grain. This transition from cattle feed and landfill to compost will reduce methane emissions and align with Ska’s commitment to local partnerships.

Ska will publish more information about these efforts in coming weeks.

Media inquiring about Ska Brewing can contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT SKA BREWING

Emily Hutto 8/31/22 Emily Hutto 8/31/22

For The Love of Ska Music: Ska Brewing Kicks Off Anniversary Weekend with The Art of Nan Coffey Art Show Opening

It’s serendipity that San Diego-based Nan Coffey connected with Ska Brewing CEO Dave Thibodeau, and it’s all because of each of their adoration for the old school American Ska band Fishbone.

DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing will kick off its 27th anniversary weekend with an exclusive opening for The Art of Nan Coffey Art Show at the brewery’s World Headquarters on Friday, September 2, 2022.

It’s epic serendipity that San Diego-based Nan Coffey connected with Ska Brewing CEO Dave Thibodeau, and it’s all because of each of their adoration for the old school American Ska band Fishbone.

Here’s the backstory: Ska’s Arizona sales rep just so happens to be friends with Fishbone’s new manager, who just so happened to be talking about a collaboration with Coffey, who just so happened to be talking with kindred ska and punk rock-aligned craft brewers-Fall Brewing- about hosting said collaboration, when Ska Brew Dave and Fall Brewing Dave ran into each other at the 2022 Craft Brewers Conference. That was when the stars began to align.

Thibodeau, who’s been an unabashed fan of Coffey’s work for a few years now, says all of these signs from the universe pointed in the direction of Ska’s anniversary party. “I get to meet my total heroes from the music world at our anniversary party, and now we get to add art to that kindred fandom.”

The Art of Nan Coffey debuts on Friday at 4pm at Ska Brewing World Headquarters on the second floor. Free and open to the public, the show will include more than 100 pieces from original paintings to limited edition prints and more; some of which even incorporate images of Ska’s beers. Coffey will be in Durango for the first time to help kickoff the 27th Anniversary weekend, and she’ll be joined by her friends from Fall Brewing among 30 pouring breweries at the sold out Brewer’s Invitational on Saturday, September 3. Hepcat will headline with special guests Rude Girl Revue and Denver Vintage Reggae Society.

For more information about Ska Brewing’s 27th anniversary weekend celebration, contact Emily Hutto at hutto@radcraftbeer.com. Media inquiring about The Art of Nan Coffey can contact Coffey at info@nanwashere.com.

ABOUT SKA BREWING

ABOUT NAN COFFEY

Nan Coffey is a contemporary artist based out of San Diego, CA. Nan’s intention is to use her unique artistic talents as a vehicle to show connectivity, inclusion and love— along with a side of Rock’n’Roll and a good beer. Her style that she calls “Art All Over” has caught the interest of many Ska and Punk bands who she’s produced art for over the years, including The Specials, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Tim Armstrong of Rancid, Less Than Jake, Frank Turner and more.