With a nod and a wink toward a popular West Coast fresh hop IPA that is released every year, von Trapp and Barrique decided they could put their own a spin on it.
After creating a Lager to pay homage to Anchor Steam after its most recent challenges and eventual triumph while in Nashville in the Fall of 2023, von Trapp’s Tom Everett joined forces once again with the Barrique team by creating a new release at the Stowe, Vermont facility. This one being a West Coast fresh-hopped Lager, in an homage to Sierra Nevada’s Celebration IPA.
“Keeping the tribute idea in mind, why not brew something everyone really enjoys around this time of year,” Everett, the brewery’s Head of Brewery Operations, said. “We had a great time working with their team, making a killer barrel-aged Lagerbier. When we heard Spencer (Longhurst) was visiting Vermont, we just had to invite him to brew with us in Stowe.
“We wanted to reciprocate Barrique’s wonderful hospitality and have some fun collaborating on another new brew.”
Von Trapp runs a regular “Collab Series,” where Everett and his team brew with a different brewery about once every quarter.
“These collaborations are always very well enjoyed and anticipated by our markets, which is amazing, so they’ve stayed a strong part of our offerings,” he said. “The whole point of these collaborations is to spend some time with our extremely talented colleagues in the beer industry, having fun, learning from each other, and creating something that we think you’ll all love and that we are proud of.”
The latest release is brewed with Vienna malt and fermented with von Trapp’s house Bavarian Lager yeast and used whole-cone Cascade and Columbus hops in the whirlpool while being dry-hopped with fresh Cascade, Columbus, and Chinook hops from the Pacific Northwest.
“Brewing something new always has its challenges. We all worked together and tried to create something people will enjoy,” Everett said. “Working with whole leaf hops can be tricky in a brewhouse not totally designed for the application.”
Everett added that both breweries have a great passion for Lagers, so creating something special and different while still staying in the Lager world was paramount while planning the collab.
Unlike von Trapp’s core offerings, marketing for collaborations is more centered around community, partnership, and fun, which definitely gets the consumer excited to participate in the limited-edition drinking experience.
“As brewers, we try to create something that the consumer will be excited about, taking into consideration what’s trending, what is missing in the market, and such,” Everett said. “Our marketing team here teams up with the marketing teams at our partner brewery to generate excitement on social media, and email and print marketing, as well. Our sales team has boots on the ground, hyping up the collaboration in the field across all markets and securing draft lines/can orders at accounts of all sizes for the brew.
“Our sales and marketing teams join up to host events for the beer, run giveaways around the beer, and more. Having the strength and credibility of both our name and our partners’ names is something that helps us catch eyes in the field.”
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The commercial success of the last collaboration with Barrique was tremendous. Everett said they were confident that a new product from the duo would generate positive reviews for those who enjoyed the previous brew while bringing in some new drinkers, too.
“We like to bring something new and exciting to the consumer,” he said. “When creating a new release lager, you always expect some folks to like it and others not so much.
“It is really about the camaraderie and working with great people in the industry. It will always be a memorable experience, and we are very fortunate to have Spencer take the time to work with us.”
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