Breckenridge Brewery Partners With Ohio & Virginia Breweries For Collaboration Fest

Denver, CO – In anticipation of this weekend’s Collaboration Fest in Denver, Breckenridge Brewery reached out to friends to the east – Starr Hill Brewery and MadTree Brewing Company.  The impetus was to create unique entries for Collaboration Fest on March 21^st which kicks off Colorado Craft Beer Week. The results: two recipes to be proud of, two days of brewing with new friends, and two incomparable and wonderful beers to share.

Collaboration #1:   MadTree Brewing Company of Cincinnati, OH
“Ohio’s one of our strongest markets, and we have great partners there,” explains George O’Neill, Director of Sales for Breckenridge Brewery.  “As a nod to those who support us in that state, we wanted to partner with an Ohio brewery to create something we’re proud to share in each of our tasting rooms.  MadTree has a fine reputation for quality and partnership.  We were excited to present the idea to them.”

The goal was to create a beer that represented each state through its ingredients.  Jimmy Walker, head brewer for Breckenridge Brewery’s brewpub in Breckenridge teamed up with Jeff Hunt, head brewer of MadTree Brewing.  Together they came up with a short list of ingredients that included Ohio spice bush berries, Colorado spruce tips, and Colorado honey.

“Carrying 10 pounds of super fragrant spice bush berries through airport security to bring a piece of Ohio to the beer was just the beginning of a great partnership with Jimmy and the Breck crew,” shared Jeff. “We had fun coming up with a beer style, brewing something that plays well with these unique ingredients yet is still refreshing for the spring.”

Jimmy added, “Both spruce tips and the spice bush berry can be easily overdone with their very potent flavor profiles. We attempted to err on the side of subtlety and keep the beer true to style.”

Saison Ridge is the outcome of their meticulous efforts – a dry, refreshing, spicy and drinkable saison with subtle and complex flavor nuances from the native ingredients.

Collaboration #2:  Starr Hill Brewery of Crozet, VA
Todd Usry, Brewmaster and Director of Brewing Operations for Breckenridge Brewery, co-created the second collaboration with Robbie O’Cain, Brewmaster of Starr Hill.  “Starr Hill was an easy pick for this collaboration.  Its founder, Mark Thompson, is an old friend from brewing school.  I was born and raised in Virginia and love the Blue Ridge Mountains where Starr Hill is based.  It doesn’t hurt that Starr Hill is renowned for its stouts and other beers; I’ve always wanted to create something with them.”

Robbie came to Colorado to brew a collaborative stout at Breckenridge Brewery’s Denver brewery.  He shipped ahead malt and barley used in Dark Starr, Little Red RooStarr, and other great Starr Hill stouts, and he carried with him locally sourced Virginia oats. To round out the 50 barrel brew, Breckenridge threw in 200 pounds of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory dark chocolate, the same chocolate brewed in its 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout.

Denver was barraged with snow the day they brewed, inspiring the name “Snow your Oats.”  How appropriate that the resulting full-flavored, chocolate oatmeal stout is one that will soothe the soul and satisfy the palate during any given storm.

“After a great experience brewing and sharing knowledge with the Breckenridge team, I can’t wait to show off this beer at Collaboration Fest,” said Robbie, who is flying back to Colorado this weekend to help launch Snow Your Oats. “It will be a blast when Todd and Breckenridge make the trek east to Virginia later this year to brew a new collaboration with the Starr Hill team for our fans on the East Coast.”

Saison Ridge and Snow Your Oats
Two beers on opposite ends of the style spectrum – Saison and Stout.  To sample these unique one-off collaborations one must attend Collaboration Fest at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on March 21^st, look for them on tap around Denver during Colorado Craft Beer week, or visit the tasting rooms at Breckenridge Brewery, Starr Hill Brewery, or MadTree Brewing after their introduction on March 21^st.

About Breckenridge Brewery
Breckenridge Brewery was founded in 1990 in Breckenridge, Colorado. In the past two decades Breckenridge Brewery has grown from a small 3,000-barrels-a-year brewpub to one of the most successful craft beer and restaurant companies in the nation. It now handcrafts more than 64,000 barrels of fresh beer annually and owns and operates five brewpubs and ale houses in the state of Colorado. www.breckbrew.com – @BreckBrew – facebook

About Starr Hill Brewery
Starr Hill Brewery is a privately owned, regional craft brewery founded in 1999 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Among the most award-winning craft breweries on the East Coast, Starr Hill has won 21 Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup and Great British Beer Festival medals. Starr Hill beer is distributed throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions. Please visit www.StarrHill.com for more information.

About MadTree Brewing Company
MadTree Brewing Company was started by three self-proclaimed “maniac” homebrewers and aspiring entrepreneurs who believe strongly in the creation of beers that stand up to the best craft brews across the country. Along with that vision they put their own “mad twists” on their creations. The MadTree approach is simple – create high quality beer, foster a fun and meaningful employee culture, and support the local communities.  www.madtreebrewing.com