5 Reasons Why Craft Beer Collaborations Are Fun

We were hanging with some friends yesterday – Spike Buckowski from Terrapin Beer was in DC and he was down at Bluejacket, brewing a special collaboration beer with Greg Engert and his team. (For the record, they were brewing what Spike and Greg called a “Bretted Peach American IPA” and they hope to showcase the results at Snallygaster 2014.) But the visit got us thinking about beer collaborations – about why they’ve become so popular and why they are such a big deal in the industry today.

So here are some thoughts (in no particular order) about why craft beer collaborations are so cool and so much fun.

Collaboration beers are unique and capture a moment in time.

Two popular breweries doing a beer together is like two big-name rock bands deciding to make music with each other – everyone’s curious when creative types cross-pollinate. And just like with rock bands, breweries have their own distinct visions and trademark moves that they’re well known for. There’s interest in the directions and decisions that they come up with when they get together – and best of all, you get to sample the outcome!

Collaborations are as exciting as the players involved.

In an industry so obsessed with one-offs – where limited-edition release collaborations are a hot, hot ticket – the players involved matters immensely. There’s interest when a Russian River, a Stone, or a Sierra Nevada chooses to share their names with just about anyone – period.

Craft beer collaborations help spread the word about other worthy breweries.

Sierra Nevada’s brilliant Beer Camp Across America 12-pack is a perfect example of this. This wonderful box set features 12 unique beers – all collaborations with Sierra Nevada and different craft brewers. Some of the collaborations are with big-time operations such as Firestone Walker, Allagash, and Bell’s and others are with lesser known names, such as Oregon-based Ninkasi Brewing and rural Wisconsin’s New Glarus.

Collaborations allow industry friends time to hang out and have some fun together.

The craft beer industry has long been known for its fun and camaraderie. But it is now moving at breakneck speed and brewers are busier than ever. Everyone’s constantly traveling to festivals and promoting their brands everywhere. And while it’s all fun, there’s unfortunately not a lot of down time anymore. Collaborations allow friends such as Bluejacket’s Greg Engert and Terrapin’s Spike Buckowski time to step away from the demands of the industry for a bit, to have some fun together, and to do what they love -brew some serious beer.

Collaborations foster experimentation.

Different brewers bring differing points of view to the brewing process and sometimes, bouncing ideas off one another can lead to exciting and unexpected places. Collaborations are all about experimentation and the results can differ widely. Some are brilliant, others not so much, but that’s also part of the deal.

And yes, things can get reckless – but they are never not fun!