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I am starting to see a shift in IPA’s where there is a huge IPA with multiple hops and then a fruit is added too.
Recent example being the collaboration between Anderson Valley Brewing with Sudwerk Brewing that has three hops, clocks in at 8 1/2% and has apricots. Maybe those three hops gave a hint of the stonefruit and more was desired?
Bottle Logic of Orange County has teamed with Common Space of L.A. County for an Imperial Lager. One with a southern twist. Using southern hemisphere grown hops and malts from South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. This is an unexpected style for both but welcome in my opinion as we cannot have enough lagers out there in the world.
Foedre Friends canned by Almanac Beer Co. pours a deep orange color. Woodsy, botanical. Hops are not coming through but this tastes different without too many bells and whistles. Leather and dried fruit come to mind.
Now I have not seen a collaboration with this many hands in the kitchen…
This blog is chock-a-block with postings of collaboration beers. The camaraderie factor gives off positive vibes and sometimes it is the only way to taste a beer from a brewery far away.
But I believe that this needs to be shaken up a bit. Yes, this may sound like one of those team building exercises that everyone groans about but I would like to see a little more randomness involved.
I envision one of those bingo rollers but with brewery logos in it. For instance, the L.A. Brewers Guild members each have a ping pong ball and two at a time, they are pulled out and paired off. Here’s the twist though, add a second group of balls that have a beer style on them so that the style is up in the air too.
Each duo (or trio if desired) can pick a time in the year to brew their beer and go nuts with it. Yes, some groups may be fast friends already and you may end up with some groups that don’t like each other at all but isn’t that part of the fun? Get people out of a comfort zone and get them thinking and behaving differently.
Today, I will be talking craft beer events in Los Angeles in my posts. So break out your Calendar app and start typing.
On Thursday, the second to last day of January you can sample from a Cigar City Collab Flight Night at the Congregation Ale House in Pasadena
Being such Cigar City fanatics we had to find a way to have an event! Five beer flight includes: NNB Cigar City Ale, De Proef Tropical Tripel, Coronado Last Spike and all Widmer Collabs. CC beer starts flown’ at 7PM.
Gigantic Brewing has come out of the gate strong with a who’s who roster of collaborators in their first few months.
Pelican, Oakshire, Anchorage, Laurelwood, Breakside and now Three Floyds. That is a breakneck pace of brewing but a smart way to hit the ground running. I think I will have to send my mom on a Gigantic beer buying binge for me.
Oh, and GO TIMBERS!