From Fort Collins:
To celebrate American Craft
Beer Week and the friendly, collaborative nature of the craft beer industry, all the breweries located in Fort Collins have teamed up for the 2013 Collusion Brew project.
We did things a little different this year, though. Rather than have all the breweries come together to make a single beer, we all started with the same base recipe, and each brewery worked with two other breweries to make something unique. FCB’s brew was made in collaboration with Coopersmith’s and Black Bottle. Together, we decided on additions to the malt bill, chose the yeast strain, and chose the hops. In our case, because we love smoke beer so much, we added smoked malt to recipe.
On brew day, we all got together and shared some beers and stories…oh yeah, and we brewed the beer, too.
FCB’s Collusion brew will be available in the Tasting Room starting May 13th, and all 9 of the Collusion brews will be tapped at Black Bottle on May 13th.
Press Release:
(Salida, CO) – Member brewers of the newly founded Ark Valley Libation Society have joined together to produce their first collaborative beer to both help get the group off the ground and benefit the effort to preserve a unique local treasure.
Set to release May 10, a portion of proceeds from the sale of the limited edition Browns Canyon India Style Brown Ale will be donated to Friends of Browns Canyon, a local group dedicated to preserving the iconic local whitewater canyon corridor as the nation’s newest Monument and Wilderness area.
Browns Canyon India Style Brown Ale is brewed with Belgian yeast strain and delivers the hop forward delights of a traditional India Pale Ale with the malt backbone of a brown making this a very unique brew. AVLS vice-president Xandy Bustamante, of Elevation Beer Co., said the group had fun working together and that all are extremely pleased with the outcome. “I don’t think we’ll have any trouble selling out,” Bustamante said. “I think it’ll be gone in less than two months.”
Bustamante explained the idea behind the project was to allow the group to do what it does best, make delicious craft beer, in order to help raise funds to get the guild off the ground. The mission of the group is to help put the area on the map as a statewide destination of craft beer and spirits in much the same way as Colorado’s Grand Valley is known for wine. AVLS is also unified in its commitment to the community. AVLS members were eager to have a portion of the proceeds of the product benefit a local non-profit. AVLS President Mike LaCroix said Friends of Browns Canyon was an easy choice.
Keith Baker, executive director of the conservation-oriented non-profit said he was pleasantly surprised when AVLS contacted him about the project. “It’s not every day you get a call from a group asking if it’s ok to donate money to your non-profit,” Baker said. “Hopefully, the money can help us get Sen. Mark Udall’s proposed legislation the final mile so future generations of Coloradans can enjoy the 22,000-acre area’s unique mix of exciting whitewater, wildlife and wilderness recreation that’s so accessible to the Front Range.”
AVLS is comprised of craft beer and spirit makers in this rural mountain valley in south central Colorado. Each of the three brewer-members of the guild – Amica’s Pizza and Microbrewery, Elevation Beer Co., and Moonlight Pizza and Brew Pub – put together their award-winning expertise and contributed ingredients necessary to produce this unique small-batch beer, about 450 gallons in all. The beer will also be sold in bottles at AVLS associate members such as area liquor stores and restaurants.
In addition to the brewers, AVLS founding producer-members include Wood’s High Mountain Distillery and Deerhammer Distilling Co. in upriver sister town, Buena Vista. The two local gin and whiskey making friends plan to collaborate on a special limited edition spirituous beverage.
The various versions of this year’s Fort Collins Collusion will be on tap during American Craft Beer Week (May 13-19). Fort Collins beer enthusiasts are encouraged to come out and try the different brews at each brewery throughout the week.
On Monday, May 13th, the brewers will be meeting at Black Bottle Brewing Co. for a group toast. All nine beers will be available side by side for one evening only. Join Fort Collins’ Craft Brewers in celebration with their Collaboration Confabulation!
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