Don’t get me wrong, I like a good IPA collaboration but I get another level excited when breweries do something less done.
New Belgium and Ommegang are doing a Belgian-Style Tripel together and I hope to see Belgian Essence on shelves…
The Essence
Have We?
It was probably only a matter of time before Radiant Beer Co. and Offshoot Beer Co. collaborated on a project. It was only a matter, probably, of which type of IPA would be made. And here it is….
…and it is New Zealand-Style IPA whose can you can’t miss because of those sparkly diamond patterns. I like the name to, subtle call back to former employees coming back.
Earthlings
Highland Park Brewery has a new westie IPA, Fellow Humans a collaboration with Orange County’s Everywhere Beer Co.
“Fellow Humans is a 6.2%ABV west coast IPA with lots of fun hops! This clear beer uses NZ Cascade, Eclipse, & it’s also our first time using the hop Nectaron! We’re so excited to experiment with this rad new hop, especially on this beer! bursts of intense aromas like Orange Tic-Tacs, mojito, Big League Chew Bubblegum, & clementines.”
Love HPB beers but toning down the from left field, weird flavor descriptors might be needed though.
Obvious Choice
If you are going to collaborate with Moonlight Brewing, ya’ just gotta choose a style that will incorporate dark malts. And if you are going to collaborate with Societe Brewing, you better hop it up.
So, obviously…
Bourbon Buddies
Collaboration is not just for breweries, Broken Barrel, who I have written about on this very blog and this month the L.A. whiskey maker has released a new whiskey with the Los Angeles Distillery.
Here are the details…
“These 5.5 year single barrels culminate the five years the two whiskey brands have known each other, and also mark the five years since Seth bought his first barrel of whiskey to tinker with. The team selected three wheated single barrels – all partnered with Total Wine California where these limited edition releases will go next week.”
It Really Does
I am quite surprised that this beer name hasn’t been used way more, especially here in Los Angeles, I guess that travel from the Santa Clarita area to NoHo can generate it for sure.
Traffic Sucks is the first collaboration between Lucky Luke and Lawless. It “is a snappy hop forward lager. Brewed with Strata hops, this golden clear lager is bursting with passion fruit, apricot and strawberry notes along with hints of the hop plant’s party animal cousin (we’ll let you figure that one out).”
Smoggy Stereo
Smog City is going Kiwi with their friends at Stereo Brewing Company with Hāpi Mirumiru, a New Zealand-style IPA with three New Zealand hop varietals.
Long Beach to Anaheim
Fresh off a collaboration with Three Weavers to the North, Trademark Brewing has gone south to IPA with Unsung Brewing in Anaheim.
Don’t quite like the purple / green combo on the label but I hope to see cans of this in L.A.
Bears on Waves
If you wanted to build an IPA dream team, starting with Beachwood Brewing and Firestone Walker would be a solid choice.
I like the old travel to the Golden State bear on the label as well.
Review – 2 Fremont Collaborations
Fremont Brewing of Seattle (and Earth) has a pretty solid reputation and thankfully we get a bit of their beers here in L.A. Specifically a couple of IPA collaborations with sone equally well-known breweries…
Let’s start with Specific Void the ominous sounding IPA with Burial Beer Co.. Even the NW Fremont bird on the label has a museum exhibit quality to it.
This smells very NW to me. Pine backed by a slight fruit note. Very precisely targeted. Little banana on the taste. More malt than hops initially. Has a soft quality to it. Tastes closer to a Belgian Pale Ale to me and not in a bad way.
The next partner is Bale Breaker who also farm hops, so why not put those hops into a Cold IPA, Cultivision. Bird seems a little less goth on this label. Great aroma here. Quite earthy and dank to start. Very crisp. A bright yellow color to this one. Grassy overall.
I would take the Cultivision over Specific Void based just on crispness alone.