2018 Collaboration Fest Pour List Teases Extremes of Creativity in Beer

In an age when beer festivals have become a dime a dozen, Collaboration Fest refuses to capitulate to the norm. With 123 collaboration projects, uniting over 200 breweries, from 42 states and six countries, this year’s Collaboration Fest once again captures the true spirit of community which has been so deeply ingrained in the craft beer industry.

Over the years, the chance to collaborate on special one-off projects has allowed breweries to push the boundaries on innovation and creativity in their beers, and aside from the nine New England-style IPAs that we already know of, this year’s fest will be no different. Last week, Collaboration Fest, announced a working initial pour list lineup, and from what we can infer thus far, this year’s participants are pulling out all the stops. That said, deciding between which of these specialty beers to try can be a bit daunting, so here’s a quick breakdown based on what we know thus far.

Be sure to check in with PorchDrinking as we get closer to the event, as we’ll have more in-depth coverage on some of the fest’s most interesting collaborations and we’ll be giving away a pair of tickets to the festival as well.

Collab Beers with Interesting Ingredients

Upslope Brewing x Santa Fe Brewing – Thigh Five Southwest Common 

Why it’s unique: The two breweries used all Colorado and New Mexico ingredients in their collaboration including huitlacoche, a plant fungus that grows on ears of corn.

Wibby Brewing x The Media – Throwing Stones Steinbeer 

Why it’s unique: Wibby hosted Colorado’s local media to brew a Steinbier, an ale brewed with 600-degree granite that originates from 20th century Europe.

Steamworks Brewing x Dry Dock Brewing – Nice Pear

Why it’s unique: Nice Pear is a beer and sake hybrid.

Moonlight Pizza & Brewpub x Caution Brewing – What the Duck Five Spice Gose

Why it’s unique: The name says it all, this Gose is brewed with Peking Duck and 5 spice to honor owner Danny Wang’s Chinese culinary heritage.

Wynkoop Brewing x White Labs – Limey Unicorn

Why it’s unique: This English Golden Ale is brewed with rock climbing chalk.

Funkwerks x New Image Brewing – Arnie

Why it’s unique: These breweries produced a kettle sour with black tea and lemon peel

New Image Brewing x Molly’s Spirits – I Can’t Believe It’s Actually Butter

Why it’s unique: Poking a bit of fun with the Pastry Stout trend, New Image founder Brandon Capps noted that a true pastry stout would natrually incorporate the use of butter. So in this collaboration with Molly’s Spirits, they’re bring a Samoa-inspired Pastry Stout with organic coconut, organic toasted cacao, and yes organic butter extract. Capps is ready for all the diacetyl jokes, but notes that this will actually taste more like an authentic baked good than most pastry stouts you’ll have tried.

Ratio Beerworks x Ska Brewing – Magnetic North

Why it’s unique: The kveik yeast strain has been experiencing a renewed breath of life. The Norwegian yeast strain imparts earthy spiciness and fragrant citrus esters.

Interesting Stories

Guild Collaboration: Colorado Brewers Guild X Crooked Stave Artisan Project X Ohio Brewers Guild X Iowa Brewers Guild X New York Brewers Guild X Kentucky Guild of Brewers X Arizona Brewers Guild X Indiana Brewers Guild X Texas Brewers Guild X Oregon Brewers Guild X North Carolina Brewers Guild X Brewers Association – Cherry Coast to Coast

Why it’s interesting: During GABF 10 guilds collaborated with Crooked Stave Artisan Beer Project, alongside the Brewers Association to brew a dark sour cherry ale that’s been aging in a Four Roses Bourbon Barrel.

Little Machine x The People – The People’s Beer

Why it’s interesting: Quite possibly the largest crowd-sourced beer collaboration. The organizers of Collab Fest tasked the internet with deciding on the beer’s style, ingredients and name.

Little Machine x Mason Ale Works x Joyride Brewing – Fresh p0w

Why it’s interesting: This fresh-hopped IPA boasts 0 IBUs.

Mockery Brewing x Adroit Theory Brewing – Heart of a Hellraiser

Why it’s interesting: Last year during CBC Mockery brewed a collaboration beer with Adroit Theory in Washington DC and drove the brew back to Denver while exposing it to open air fermentation along the way to capture wild microbes.

Our Mutual Friend Brewing x TRVE Brewing – Esprit De Corps I

Why it’s interesting: Two of Denver’s most prolific sour and wild producers team up on a blended mixed culture ale. It just so happens that TRVE also began distributing OMF beers this past year.

All-Star Collab Casts

New Belgium x The Rare Barrel – On the Shoulder of Giants

Why it’s interesting: On the Shoulder of Giants pays homage to the incredible talents and contributions of New Belgium’s Wood Cellar Blender and Specialty Brand Manager Lauren Limbach. In this collaboration she drew from her roots in Athens, GA and incorporated Peaches and jasmine pearl tea, a reminder of the jasmine scent from the house she grew up in, as part of a blend of golden sours aged in oak.

WeldWerks Brewing x Casey Brewing & Blending – Transmountain Diversion Double IPA

Why it’s interesting: Two of Colorado’s hottest breweries have teamed up to brew a Double IPA. The Hyatt Regency better be prepared to confiscate their share of hydroflask growlers because beer nerds are already drooling over the perceived secondary trade value of this much-hyped unity if they can manage to find a way to sneak some pours out of the festival hall.

Cerebral Brewing x Outer Range Brewing – TBA

Why it’s interesting: Two of Colorado’s most prolific producers of haze have teamed up, and we’re guessing the NE-style IPA train will likely continue to roll on.

Black Project Spontaneous & Wild Ales x Speciation Artisan Ales – TBA

Why it’s interesting: Mitch Ermatinger began his brewing career under James Howat at Denver’s Black Project, and now Mitch returns as one of the country’s hottest and most buzzed about brands teaming up with his mentor. This grand unity of spontaneous & wild titans will be a can’t miss.

Cellar West Artisan Ales x Alesong Brewing & Blending – TBA

Why it’s interesting: Similar to the Black Project & Speciation pairing, Cellar West and Alesong represent two of the country’s youngest high risers in the sour / wild category.

Tickets are currently available for the 2018 Collaboration Fest, on Saturday, March 31 at The Hyatt Regency in Denver, CO. Grab yours before they sell out!

Here’s what we currently know from the 2018 Collaboration Fest Pour List:

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