SweetWater Brewing Company & Breckenridge Brewery Collaborate
J. Todd Usry, Brewmaster and Director of Operations at Breckenridge Brewery says, “With a malt bill inspired by SweetWater’s 16th Anniversary Red Wheat Wine Ale and Breckenridge’s new spring seasonal, Ophelia Hoppy Wheat, the new beer will be tapped just in time for a sneak peak at Colorado’s Collaboration Festival on March 22 and featured in a select few tap rooms throughout Denver during the Craft Brewer’s Conference.”Brewed with red wheat malt from the Colorado Malting Company, along with malted Buckwheat and Mosaic hops, this brew is a tribute to the friendship of brewing buddies J. Todd Usry and Freddy Bensch, the Big Kahuna at SweetWater Brewery, from the times when the two used to pal around Colorado in the early days of craft beer.
“For me, it was a cool experience to be a part of the collaboration, just enjoying the camaraderie and getting a better understanding of how other folks brew,” said SweetWater Head Brewer Nick Nock. “I really enjoyed our 16th Red Wheat Wine Ale and I think this brew is going to pair well with the Mosaic hops and malted Buckwheat, two ingredients we’ve never worked with before. I’m looking forward to getting back up there to get my hands, and lips, on it!”
During the Craft Brewers Conference on Wednesday, April 9th, the Ale House at Amato’s will be tapping in the collaborative brew and hosting a full tap takeover featuring Breckenridge Brewery and SweetWater Brewery beers. The night will also honor the late Curtis McArthur of SweetWater Brewery with a toast at 4:20 p.m. Brewer friends of McArthur, Upslope Brewing Company and Crooked Stave, will be in attendance with a few of their beers to pour as well.
Thursday, April 10, the two breweries will embark on a crawl to seven Denver bars including: Scruffy Murphy’s, The Lobby, Star Bar, Lucky Pie, Blake St. Vault, Pour House and Strata Bar at the Hyatt Regency.Each account will carry the collaboration beer and an additional unique beer from each brewery. Follow @BreckBrew and @SweetWaterBrew on Twitter and Instagram to locate the crew and join the crawl yourself.
Blog release from Breckenridge Brewery.
