In the summer of 2014, Sierra Nevada released a Beer Camp Across America mixed pack that featured Ballast Point along with eleven other partner brewers from around the country. They then invited every craft brewery in America to participate in a seven-city traveling beer festival, culminating in Asheville, North Carolina, at the opening of their second brewery location. San Diego’s Embarcadero Marina hosted the second stop on July 20, 2014.
Sierra Nevada has decided to bring back the idea, but with a twist: 30 breweries will make up six regional “super groups” who will team up to create a beer that represents their region. Two bottles of each beer will go in the twelve-pack, which will be released nationwide.
In the Southwest region, Long Beach’s Beachwood BBQ & Brewing was chosen to lead the group and host the pilot brew session, alongside Torrance’s Smog City Brewing Co. and three San Diego beer makers: Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey, Bagby Beer Co., and Societe Brewing Co. Sierra Nevada’s Chico brewery rounds out the group. “The official name and recipe specifics are under wraps for now,” said Julian Shrago, Beachwood’s owner and brewmaster. “What I can say is that we’ve brewed an American stout that we’re all very excited about.”
The five other regions include NorCal (Bear Republic, Maui, Faction, Magnolia, Mad River, Sierra Nevada Chico); Pacific NW & Rockies (Bale Breaker, Barley Brown’s, Melvin, Black Raven, Odell, Sierra Nevada Chico); Midwest (August Schell, Dark Horse, Sun King, Perennial, Half Acre, Sierra Nevada Mills River); Northeast & Mid-Atlantic (Dogfish Head, Devils Backbone, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Stoudts, Trillium, Sierra Nevada Mills River); and Southeast (Funky Buddha, Wicked Weed, Austin Beerworks, Bayou Teche, Creature Comforts, Sierra Nevada Mills River).
Port Brewing/The Lost Abbey’s Tomme Arthur had this to say upon being chosen: “We are of course thrilled to be working with Sierra on another collaborative project and to be included in this great group of brewers is a reminder of the paragon of camaraderie (established by Sierra Nevada Brewing Company) is still very much alive and well in our industry today.”
Beer Camp Across America 2016 returns this summer as a six-city traveling beer festival; the Southwest region is the third stop, but no date or location has yet been set.