by Mark Smiley
On March 16, 2019, Two Parts hosted the 6th Annual Collaboration Beer Fest at the Hyatt Regency in Denver. This creative beer festival featured 100+ beer projects with over 200 participating breweries. How does a beer project happen? Two or more breweries come together to brew something special with one or both being a member of the Colorado Brewers Guild. The result? Some of the most exciting, rare, and delicious beer tappings you’ll find anywhere.
Comrade Brewing: Benjamin Housman, left, and Andrew Lester from Comrade Brewing were among the breweries that collaborated with other breweries to make unique beers. Comrade, located at 7667 E. Iliff Avenue in Denver, worked with Pelican Brewing and Epic Brewing.
Many good beers filled the exhibit hall of the Hyatt Regency. Some standouts were Comrade Brewing and Epic Brewing (Denver) who combined to make a Dry-Hopped California Common. Comrade Brewing also collaborated with Pelican Brewing (Pacific City, OR) to brew an IPA with Orange Peel and Citrusy Hops.
The longest lines were at the booth reserved for Cerebral Brewing (Denver) and WeldWerks Brewing Company (Greeley) who collaborated to make a New England-style Double IPA Brewed with Nelson Sauvin, Sabro, and Citra Hops.
New Terrain Brewing Company (Golden) and Molly’s Spirits (Lakeside) also had a crowd for their Desert Berliner Weisse with Yogurt. It was one of the most unusual beers found at the fest and was a hit among attendees. Stop by Molly’s Spirits in Lakeside for this and other collaboration beers while supplies last.
Milkshake IPAs were at a few booths and one collaboration that stood out was from Launch Pad Brewery (Aurora) and Bent Barley Brewing (Aurora). This beer was brewed with fresh carrots, walnuts, lactose, vanilla beans, and spices.
Fiction Beer (Denver) and Calicraft Brewing (Walnut Creek, CA) brought a single malt grain bill to set the stage for the combination of yeast, hops, and fruit. Peaches and Viognier Grapes made up 25% of this beer. A custom blend of bretttanomyces and champagne yeast were used to ferment this beer dry with almost no residual sugar. Only whirlpool hops and huge dry hops add to the complexity. The bright aroma of citrus, tropical and stone fruit from the hops are the perfect complement to the sweet nectar and herbal aroma from the fruit and our blend of yeast. The flavor is enhanced by the incredibly dry finish. Crisp, bright, and complex.
Collaboration Fest: The 6th Annual Collaboration Fest was held on March 16, 2019, at the Hyatt Regency in Denver.
Visit www.collaborationfest.com for more information and a full list of all collaborations. Stay tuned for next year’s event as Two Parts always puts on a high quality and well-organized event.