{"id":16592,"date":"2017-03-07T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2017-03-07T16:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/archives.csusm.edu\/westcoastersd\/?p=16592"},"modified":"2017-03-07T13:34:58","modified_gmt":"2017-03-07T21:34:58","slug":"travel-collaboration-celebration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archives.csusm.edu\/westcoastersd\/2017\/03\/07\/travel-collaboration-celebration\/","title":{"rendered":"Beer Travel: Collaboration Celebration"},"content":{"rendered":"
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2016’s Collaboration Fest was held inside Denver’s Mile High Stadium<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Beer festivals take place nearly every weekend in San Diego County. We are, arguably, the craft-beer capital of the country, after all. But even with such a local plethora of opportunities to celebrate and consume copious amounts of craft-beer, there are out-of-town events of such high caliber that they merit travel expenses. Popular examples include the country\u2019s largest event, the Great American Beer Festival<\/strong><\/a>, and most Californians\u2019 be-all-end-all, the Firestone Walker Invitational Beer Festival<\/strong><\/a>. But there\u2019s a relatively new arrival to the must-visit ranks where every ale and lager is special, Collaboration Fest<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Held in Denver, Colorado each March during Colorado Craft Beer Week<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(CCBW), Collaboration Fest is an initiative conceived by the Colorado Brewers Guild<\/strong><\/a> and Two Parts<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in 2014 to bring together breweries to a degree that goes beyond standard beer-festival camaraderie. Each year, the Guild\u2019s member-breweries reach out to brewing companies to brew special collaboration beers specifically for this festival; one-time-only creations that are here then gone, making for the type of unique experience adventurous, whale-hunting beer connoisseurs live (and die) for.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Collaboration Fest, which will take place at the National Western Stock Show Complex<\/strong> on March 25<\/strong>, will feature 100-plus breweries serving more than 75 collaboration beers. Last year\u2019s event was stocked with a similar assemblage of players and project-beers, the majority of which went outside the box of standard-styles. Many were ultra-hoppy, funky, style-bending or infused with exotic ingredients, creating a beer-list unlike that of any other festival.<\/p>\n

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Carrie Knose of Living the Dream Brewing and Paul Sangster from Rip Current Brewing enjoying their collaborative creation<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Several of 2016\u2019s collaborative efforts involved San Diego brewing interests. Rip Current Brewing<\/strong><\/a> brewmaster Paul Sangster<\/strong> paired up with Littleton\u2019s Living the Dream Brewing<\/strong><\/a> to brew a San Diego-style IPA. Stone Brewing<\/strong><\/a> small-batch brewer Laura Ulrich<\/strong> cooked up an imperial stout with old friends and coworkers from Fort Collins\u2019 Odell Brewing<\/strong><\/a>, where she worked from 2002 to 2004 before joining the gargoyle clan. Both San Diegans were on-hand at the event to interact with festival goers and check out the other beers on the floor.<\/p>\n

Other San Diego collaborators included Bagby Beer Company<\/strong><\/a>, Ballast Point Brewing<\/strong><\/a>, Green Flash Brewing<\/strong><\/a> and Pizza Port<\/strong><\/a>, who worked-up a pair of beers with Cannonball Creek Brewing<\/strong><\/a> and Twisted Pine Brewing<\/strong><\/a>. (A full rundown of the individual beers from San Diego collaborators can be found below.)<\/p>\n

Some of the standout sours included a tart dark ale with Brettanomyces from Crooked Stave<\/strong> and Evil Twin Brewing<\/strong>, a black saison called \u201cRamblin\u2019 Man\u201d from Liquid Mechanics<\/strong> and Odd 13 Brewing<\/strong>, \u201cDeux Funk\u201d from Funkwerks<\/strong> and Wicked Weed Brewing<\/strong>, and a vanillin-kissed, barrel-aged sour from Denver Beer<\/strong> and Spangalang Brewing<\/strong> called \u201cCross Eyed Funktion\u201d. An oak-aged Gose from TRVE Brewing<\/strong> and Prairie Artisan Ales<\/strong> exhibited brilliant depth and fruitiness from Colorado peaches. Rare styles like Kvassier (Call to Arms, Denizens<\/strong> and Conshocken Brewing<\/strong>), Kottbusser (300 Suns Brewing<\/strong>, Gemini Beer<\/strong>) and a rye- and wheat-beer hybrid (a roggenweiss) from Prost!<\/strong> And Dogfish Head\u00a0<\/strong>provided even more depth and variety.<\/p>\n

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Brent Cordle of Odell Brewing and Stone Brewing small batch brewer Laura Ulrich reunited at Collaboration Fest<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Even takes on IPAs went outside the box. Epic<\/strong> and Ska Brewing<\/strong> teamed up for a\u00a0 barrel-aged American IPA dubbed \u201cSkeptic Ale\u201d, while Crazy Mountain Brewing<\/strong> and Stillwater Artisan Ales<\/strong>\u2019 \u201cNeoteric\u201d sour wild IPA was one of the fest\u2019s most impressive offerings. There was also a reunion stout called \u201cBreeze\u2019s Mom\u201d brewed by the founders of Call to Arms Brewing<\/strong> with their longtime former colleagues at Avery Brewing<\/strong>. Then there were all-in collabs like an outstanding barrel-fermented sour brewed by Our Mutual Friend<\/strong>, Scratch Brewing<\/strong> and Hopworks Urban Brewery<\/strong>; and a dubbel forged by the collective powers of The Bakers\u2019 Brewery<\/strong>, Breckenridge Brewery<\/strong>, Pug Ryan\u2019s Brewery<\/strong>, Angry James<\/strong>, Broken Compass<\/strong>, Backcountry<\/strong> and Dillon Dam Brewing<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Some may find it difficult to justify traveling halfway across the country for three-to-four hours of beer-tasting, no matter how outstanding, but more awaits visitors to Collaboration Fest. Denver is home to 65 breweries, brewpubs and beer-centric bars and restaurants, many of which\u2014roughly 25 breweries and 20 or so hot-spots, including Falling Rock Tap House<\/strong>, Euclid Hall<\/strong>, Star Bar<\/strong>, First Draft<\/strong>, Tap 14<\/strong> and Avanti<\/strong>\u2014occupy the downtown core. Thanks to free public-transit along the 16th Street Mall, a wide array of them can be accessed easily and expeditiously. And because the event is held during Colorado Craft Beer Week, many of those venues have special events and promotions taking place, adding value and enhanced experiences to one\u2019s travel itinerary. (Between 40 and 50 CCBW events were planned within Denver at press-time).<\/p>\n

San Diegans are fortunate to live in a suds-saturated locale, but remarkable events like Collaboration Fest remind us that there\u2019s a whole world out there, and that it\u2019s one worth exploring.<\/p>\n

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San Diego Collaboration Fest Beers<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n