Here, then Gone! Denver’s Collaboration Fest is the “Snapchat” of Brewing

More than 40 historic craft beers will be available on March 21, 2015 – and March 21 ONLY – when the Colorado Brewers Guild (CBG) and Imbibe Events host the second annual Collaboration Fest. 

“The concept of Collaboration Fest is simple: two or more independent, award-winning breweries will collaborate together to create one beer, which will only be available at one place for one day,” said Imbibe co-founder Casey Berry.

The inaugural Collaboration Fest in 2014 created some historic pairings including a beer produced by all-female brewers and a memorable collaboration between Colorado’s Ska Brewing and Nynashamns Angbryggeri out of Sweden. Creating buzz already this year is a pairing from Denver’s TRVE Brewing Company and Orange County’s The Bruery that is a German-style wit, fermented with two kinds of wild yeast currently being aged with Lactobacillus in Chardonnay barrels.

Fitting the “champion” status of these beers, the 2015 Collaboration Fest will be held in the home of the Denver Broncos – Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

“The brewing industry is pretty tight, and a lot of brewers know each other either from previous jobs or by reputation, so they relish the chance to work together on these one-time creations,” said Steve Kurowski, director of marketing for the Colorado Brewers Guild. While more than 40 breweries from around Colorado are participating, several are collaborating with breweries outside the state, and some even outside the country.  A few of these participants include: Stone Brewing and Mission Brewing Company (San Diego), Freetail Brewing Co. (San Antonio), DC Brau (Washington D.C.), Cigar City Brewing (Tampa), and Beavertown Brewery (London), among others.

“From Laurel & Hardy to Lennon & McCarthy, unusual collaborations have produced some memorable results, which is why VISIT DENVER is collaborating in this event,” said Richard Scharf, president & CEO of VISIT DENVER. “Beer is in Denver’s DNA, and we want to help support an event that will draw brewers, beer enthusiasts and visitors from around the nation to The Mile High City. This is an opportunity to taste one-of-a-kind, short-term creations that will be here for four hours, and then gone, in sort of the ‘Snapchat’ of the brewing industry,” Scharf said.

Colorado's Fat Tire Amber Ale named America's Next Top Beer

After hundreds of beers, thousands of votes and more than a few hangovers, Asylum.com has named  Fat Tire Amber Ale as America’s Next Top Beer.

“It’s a complete honor,” said Tyler Foos, who has introduced countless visitors to Fat Tire and all of New Belgium Brewing’s offerings in the tasting room of their Colorado brewery. “It’s amazing and humbling. There are so many great craft beers out there.”

Fat Tire Amber Ale came into the contest as an underdog. A write-in candidate buried amidst a field of expertly selected gold medal brews, Fat Tire was brought to the table by user comments, and carried through the nomination round by it’s ardent fan base. "When all the numbers were crunched, the Colorado-brewed amber ale actually raked in twice the votes of the runner-up, San Diego stand-out, Stone Pale Ale," states the team at Asylum.

America’s Next Top Beer actually found its inspiration in Belgium, where founder Jeff Lebesch fell in love with that country’s distinctive brews during a bike trip. Lebesch tried to recreate those flavors – notes of fruit and floral elements balanced with hints of hops – in his Colorado basement, and the New Belgium Brewing Co. was born. The company now brews more than 20 different varieties of beer, but Fat Tire remains New Belgium’s calling card. “It’s had a lot of amazing staying power,” Foos told us.

So what’s the appeal of this amber elixir? For some, it’s a bit of homegrown Rocky Mountain pride. “I found it living in Colorado, but have missed it since moving to Virginia,” Asylum user kevo wrote.

“I live at the Mothership, Fort Collins. There's nothing sweeter than a visit to the brewery for Lips of Faith samplings,” Fat Tire fan Diana reports.

But for others, the company’s progressive business practices – from their employee owned culture to their use of wind power and additional energy conservation efforts – are as appealing as what’s in the bottle.

“Fat Tire is an amazing beer made by not only the most amazing wind-powered brewery, but what I believe is the greatest model for a company in the United States,” Asylum user Caleb said.

“If only everyone could adopt their philosophies what a world it would be!” Asylum user Diana added.

Denver Beer Fest

A celebration of all things beer-related, the Denver Beer Fest takes place September 18-27. Enjoy beer tastings, brewery tours, Oktoberfest, and The Great American Beer Festival.