Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Railroad Earth and Amasa Hines Added to 2019 Bonfire Block Party Lineup – More To Be Announced

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Railroad Earth and Amasa Hines will join the lineup, bringing the total number of musical acts announced to 10.

EAGLE, CO— Bonfire Brewing and Optimum Events announced that five more bands have been added to their 2019 festival lineup, bringing the total amount to 10 bands announced so far. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Railroad Earth and Amasa Hines will all play on one of two main stages on Broadway, while Vail Valley favorites, The Evolution and The Sessh will play the Bonfire Stage located on Second Street. Tickets are now on sale for the 5th annual Bonfire Block Party, taking place May 31 through June 2, 2019 in Downtown Eagle, CO.  Three more bands will be announced in the weeks leading up to the Block Party.

Previously announced bands include the North Mississippi Allstars, J. Roddy Walston & The Business, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Ripe and The Lil Smokies – all groups are festival veterans around the country, but each are making their first-time appearance at the Bonfire Block Party. 

“We’re really proud of how the lineup has shaped up this year,” says Ted Wenninger of Optimum Events, co-producers of the Bonfire Block Party. “We go into the booking season with a pretty heavy wish-list, not knowing what we’ll get on the other side, but this year’s bookings have come together exceptionally well. We really think there’s something for everyone over these two days of live music, Bonfire beer, food vendors and everything else Eagle has to offer.” 

Tickets to the 2019 Bonfire Block Party are on sale now and include two-day general admission, two-day Sili packages, a VIP experience and a special add-on event, the Sunday Sayonara closing concert and brunch. Kids 12 and under are free for general admission and 2 and under are free for the VIP experience and Sunday Sayonara event. A portion of all Bonfire Block Party proceeds will benefit Eagle County nonprofit organization, The Cycle Effect.

For more information and to purchase tickets online, visit www.bonfireblockparty.com.

If You Go:
What: 2019 Bonfire Block Party
Where:  Downtown Eagle, CO
When: Friday, May 31 - Sunday, June 2, 2019
Cost: $40 - $140

More: www.bonfireblockparty.com

Bonfire Block Party Festival in Eagle Hosts 2019 Lineup Release Shindig on Tuesday, March 19

The Runaway Grooms will perform live music at Bonfire Brewing in Eagle on Tuesday, March 19 from 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. as part of the Bonfire Block Party’s 2019 Lineup Release Shindig.

EAGLE, CO— The music lineup for the 2019 Bonfire Block Party in Eagle will be released on Tuesday, March 19. 11 bands on three stages will be featured at the 5th annual music and beer street party Friday, May 31 – Sunday, June 2, 2019. General admission, VIP experience and Sunday Sayonara closing concert and brunch tickets are on sale now. The Runaway Grooms will perform live music at the Release Shindig on Tuesday, March 19 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Bonfire Brewing in Eagle. Entry to the Shindig is free.

 The Bonfire Block Party previously announced that North Mississippi Allstars, J. Roddy Walston & The Business, Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears, Ripe and The Lil Smokies will perform during the two-day street festival. Other music acts will be announced on Tuesday, March 19, followed by the Shindig that same day. Attendees purchasing Block Party tickets of any level at the Release Shindig will have no ticket fees and will receive one free beer from Bonfire Brewing.

The Runaway Grooms is a Vail Valley-based trio that covers a variety of musical styles from classic rock to Americana folk, from country to psychedelic rock. The Grooms provide a refreshing take on classic hits from the 60s on. 

A portion of all Bonfire Block Party proceeds will benefit Eagle County nonprofit organization, The Cycle Effect. For more information and to purchase Bonfire Block Party tickets online, visitwww.bonfireblockparty.com.

If You Go:
What: 2019 Bonfire Block Party Lineup Release Shindig
Where:  Bonfire Brewing, Eagle
When: Tuesday, March 19  4:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Cost: FREE
More: www.bonfireblockparty.com

RadCraft Announces New Content Manager, Aaron Sprengeler

photo by The Brewtography Project

DENVER, CO— RadCraft, a Colorado-based company dedicated to supporting the communications needs of crafters of malted, fermented barley, announced today that its new Content Manager. Aaron Sprengeler joins the executive team after more than a year on staff.

Sprengeler worked as an intern at the Brewers Association and Social Media Coordinator at Dry Dock Brewing Company before joining RadCraft in 2017. He is the company’s first addition to the leadership team since its launch in 2012. “I’m so fortunate to have joined RadCraft in its startup phase,” he says. “I decided to work in this industry for the people (the beverages are a close second). Emily and the team at RadCraft have cultivated a tribe that could only exist in the craft industry, and it is my privilege to spend each day helping to bring out the best of each member through their rich stories.”

“Aaron has proved integral to our overall company marketing strategy, and a sound social media resource for our brewery partners,” says RadCraft Founder and CEO Emily Hutto. “His thorough, wholistic approach to content development keeps us all in check. It’s an honor to welcome him to RadCraft’s executive team.”

Sprengeler dwells in Denver, Colorado with his puppy Maple. He spends as much of his time in Colorado’s mountains as possible, usually climbing its rocks. Contact him at aaron@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT RADCRAFT

Founded in 2012 by craft beer journalist Emily Hutto, RadCraft is the craft beer co-op. Dedicated to serving the communications needs of crafters of malted, fermented barley, RadCraft is an agency of record and full-service marketing house for craft breweries, distilleries, and malting companies. Learn more at radcraftbeer.com and join the tribe across social media platforms @radcraftbeer.

Karl Strauss and Drake’s Release Collaboration Beer in Celebration of Their 30th Anniversaries

SAN DIEGO, CA— Karl Strauss Brewing Company and Drake’s Brewing Company join forces as they celebrate 30 years of pioneering the craft beer industry in California and beyond. Introducing Level 30 Complete, a collaboration (and joint anniversary) beer. This Hazy IPA is brewed with Simcoe, Cascade, Mosaic, and Amarillo hops. Citrus and sweet fruit aromas are backed by a juicy finish.

“We’ve always respected our friends at Drake’s and the fact that we’re both celebrating our 30 th Anniversaries this year made this the perfect time to collaborate on a brew. Level 30 Complete is a delicious example of a Hazy IPA, and the name summarizes how proud we both are to have made it to this milestone!” – Matt Johnson, Brewmaster, Karl Strauss Brewing Company

Level 30 Complete Hazy IPA is available on draft and in 16oz cans throughout California during the month of February – just in time for San Francisco Beer Week up north and Karl Strauss’ 30th Anniversary celebrations down south. For more information about Level 30 Complete, visit www.karlstrauss.com.

ABOUT LEVEL 30 COMPLETE HAZY IPA

1989’s greatest creation had to be the Game Boy—but hey, the opening of a couple scrappy breweries could be a close second. Karl Strauss and Drake’s began the brewing quest at Level 1 (the difficulty setting? Hard mode.) After grinding for 29 years, we’ve come together to celebrate our 30th Anniversaries and bring you this 1up in beer form. Level 30 Complete is a Hazy IPA brewed with Simcoe, Cascade, Mosaic, and Amarillo hops. Citrus and sweet fruit aromas are backed by a juicy finish. Venture forth, beer in hand. It’s dangerous to go alone, drink this!

ABOUT KARL STRAUSS BREWING COMPANY

Karl Strauss Brewing Company has been proudly independent since 1989, pioneering the craft beer scene with innovative beer releases like Aurora Hoppyalis IPA, Queen of Tarts Dark Sour, and Boat Shoes Hazy IPA. The brewery has won 110 medals since 2009 and was honored with the “Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year” award at the Great American Beer Festival in 2016. For more information, visit www.karlstrauss.com or call the brewery at (858) 273-2739. Share it. Cheers.

ABOUT DRAKE’S BREWING CO.

Drake's Brewing Co. is an independent craft brewery located in San Leandro, Calif., that's been dedicated to bringing people together over great beer since 1989. Drake’s has become known over the years for consistently producing a wide variety of hop-forward craft beers. From the groundbreaking 1500 Pale Ale to innovative creations like the Denogginizer Double IPA, and a growing collection of artisan barrel-aged and sour beers, the brewery’s commitment to quality and integrity shines through in every beer. Go to drinkdrakes.com for more information.

(Rad)Craft Night at Strange Craft, Monday September 17

RadCraft is taking over Monday night Craft Night at Strange Craft to kick off the 2018 Great American Beer Festival!

Colorado beer author Ed Sealover will join us to sign copies of his book Colorado Excursions with History, Hikes and Hops. From 6-6:15, 21+ guests can enjoy Strange Craft samples while Ed talks shop.

Guests can also enjoy a showcase local wood designer and manufacturer Spooky Bat Designs. Spooky Bat makes custom tap handles, coasters, wooden magnets, wooden bookmarks, and so much more.

The first 20 guests to arrive at this event get a free pretzel necklace-making kit to ready themselves for the Great American Beer Festival!

RadCraft Partners Bring Home Six 2018 World Beer Cup Awards; Malt Barley For Winning Beers

NASHVILLE, TN— RadCraft partner breweries were awarded six medals at the 2018 World Beer Cup®, including two gold medals for German-Style Pilsner and Belgian-Style Flanders Oud Bruin.

Here are the winners in order of announcement at the 2108 World Beer Cup Awards Ceremony at Nashville’s Music City Center.

Category 1: Telluride Brewing received a silver award for its Whacked Out Wheat in the American-Style Wheat Beer category. It was among 53 entries. Whacked Out Wheat also won silver at the 2016 World Beer Cup.

Category 39: Rockyard Brewing was honored to take home the gold medal in the German-Style Pilsener category. Primadonna Pilsner was one of 176 entries into this category. Read the full press release about this win here.

Category 60: Karl Strauss Brewing Company’s Farmhouse was awarded a silver medal in the French & Belgian-Style Saison category, among 87 entries. This small-batch beer was produced at the company’s 4S Ranch satellite brewery in San Diego by Head Brewer Sean Albrecht. There is a full press release about this win and Karl’s recent win at the LA International Beer Competition here.

Category 65: Funkwerks is proud to return home with the gold medal for the Belgian-Style Flanders Oud Bruin or Oud Red Ale category. Oud Bruin, a traditional Flemish-style sour, was produced once a year from a blend of beers aged for a range of up to two years in a variety of oak barrels. Funkwerks was one of 41 entries into this category. Read the full press release about this win here.

Category 97: Bootstrap Brewing’s Wreak Havoc was awarded bronze in the Imperial Red Ale category. This beer was also awarded a bronze in the same category at the 2016 World Beer Cup. Imperial Red Ale had 44 entries this year.

Category 81: Brink Brewing Co. was awarded a bronze medal for Moozie in the Sweet Stout or Cream Stout category that had 73 entries. "Competitions are great ways for small brewers like us to get our name out there," says Brink Brewing head brewer Kelly Montgomery. "After winning a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival® in 2017, winning a bronze at WBC really validates that it wasn't just a fluke. We're so proud to bring this medal home to the College Hill neighborhood."

Also in this years winner’s circle was Intrepid Sojourner Beer Project’s Hickory Peach Wee Heavy that was brewed with Palisade peaches and Odyssey Pilsner malt from Root Shoot Malting in Loveland, Colorado. It won a silver medal in Category Category 19: Experimental Beer that had 130 entries. “Our beers provide a global experience, but we continue to strive to localize our ingredients,” says Intrepid’s Head of Brewery Operations Andrew Moore. “We're thrilled that we have such a quality malt product so close by.”

The 2018 World Beer Cup was the largest yet, with 8,234 entries from 2515 breweries hailing from 66 countries in 101 categories judged by 295 judges from 33 countries— 72 percent of whom were from outside the United States, according to the Brewers Association. Learn more about the World Beer Cup and all of the 2018 winners at worldbeercup.org.

If you would like to speak with any of the above 2018 World Beer Cup winners, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.

Bring Your Brewery Sticker To CBC 2018; Enter To Win Promote The Brew Marketing Resource Lounge Sweepstakes

photo by Colin Bridge

Don’t miss The Promote The Brew Marketing Resource Lounge at this year’s Craft Brewers Conference! Located on the first floor lobby (Lounge 1A) across from the breakout session rooms, this lounge is your one-stop hub for all of your craft brewery marketing needs.

The Promote The Brew Marketing Resource Lounge brings together industry leading resources such as Isaac Arthur and Cody Fague from CODO Design with Hands-on Branding, Emily Huto from RadCraft on Marketing Communications, Amy Oeding from Oeding Consulting to discuss retail merchandising profitably and Scott & Steve Schmidt from Promote The Brew with Promotional Marketing and The Market The Brew Podcast all in one location.

THE BUSINESSES

It's an honor to work with this world bunch of craft marketing colleagues. Click on each logo to learn more. 

THE SWEEPSTAKES

The Promote The Brew Marketing Resource Lounge is excited to raffle off a full suite of our partners’ products and services during this year’s conference. Bring your brewery sticker to stick to our life-sized cooler door for your chance to win this exceptional suite, valued at $3,635.00.

Find us at 2018 Craft Brewers Conference at the Music City Center on the first floor (street level) lobby (Lounge 1A) across from the breakout session rooms. The closest intersection is Korean Veteran's Boulevard and 5th Avenue S.

Stop in with your sticker for a chance to win, and to find out how we can help improve your business.

SEE Y'ALL IN MUSIC CITY!

Intentional Brett, Nordic Farmhouse Saison, and Piña Collaba— Beers You've Got To Try at the 5th Annual Collaboration Festival

Collaboration Festival 2017, photo courtesy The Brewtography Project

Named America's most creative beer festival by Food & Wine, Collaboration Fest is back for the fifth year offering more beers brewed with craft malt than ever before.

More than 10 collaborations were made with Root Shoot Malting Company’s brewery partners crafted beers with Loveland-grown and malted barley for this year’s Collaboration Fest. These beers include Ursula Brewery's and Westbound & Down Brewing Company's Farmhouse IPA  that was brewed using 100 percent Root Shoot malts and Citra, Moutere, and Loral Cryo hops; and two hazy IPAs by Lost Highway Brewing Company, with Berthoud Brewing and Peacemaker Brewing, respectively.

Plot your beer festival map. Taste these projects before they're gone...

Strange Craft + Freetail Brewing Co.

Strange Craft got the Collab Fest ball rolling early, the day after GABF to be exact. Jason Davis, the Director of Brewing Ops at Freetail Brewing stuck around after the festival for Denver’s first snow day of the season to help brew what will go down in history as Strange Craft’s first intentional Brett beer. Don’t ask about the unintentional ones. StrangeTail Seven is a malt-forward English IPA was finished in a Red Wine barrels inoculated with a different variety of Brettanomyces in each barrel.

Lone Tree Brewing Company + Cannonball Creek Brewing Co.

Craft malt liquor— it’s all the rage right now. And Collab Fest participants will get to taste one of the finest, crafted by the Billy Dee fans over at Lone Tree Brewing Company with their friends and fellow 40-lovers Cannonball Creek Brewing. This tall beauty was brewed with a traditional grain bill consisting of mostly pilsner malt paired with flaked corn, flaked rice and some dextrose sugar to lighten the body of the beer. A massive amount of Hallertau Blanc and Vic Secret hops went into this boil and asa dry hops, which made this malt liquor as "juicy' as your favorite hazy IPA. Weighing in at 7.6 percent ABV and 35 IBU, this beer pushes the envelope of what a malt liquor can be.  

Station 26 + Sleeping Giant Brewing Company, Wibby Brewing

Station 26 Brewing Co. collaborated with Sleeping Giant to create Nordic Farmhouse Tripel Double IPA brewed with White Wheat, Pilsner, Vienna, and CaraBelge malt, Candi Sugar, and hopped with Cascade, Citra, and Mandarina Bavaria. 

Station 26 has also collaborated with Longmont-based Wibby Brewing to craft a Biere de Mars with the perfect balance of malt, hops, and an Inland Island yeast induced spiciness. Station 26 founder, Justin Baccary, suggested the idea of using a French Ale strain from Inland Island and Ryan Wibby was excited about using a different yeast strain and brewing with some more interesting, aromatic hops making this a truly collaborative and unique drinking experience.

Station 26 at Wibby Brewing, photo courtesy The Brewtography Project

Bonfire Brewing + Zuni Street Brewing, Invasive Species Brewing

There’s a childhood story— well, a lot of them— behind this collaboration brew. “We all grew up together,” says Jim Rabun who brews for Bonfie Brewing, “and so it’s been great to get back together with TJ and Willy and come up with a beer inspired by all of us.” This beer is kind of like a light Porter, or a dark Belgian recipe, brewed with chocolate malt from Proximity Malting and fermented with Zuni's house Belgian yeast strain. “We decided on this beer because we are into brewing dark beers and Zuni is great at Belgian's so we decided to combine to two together,” adds Rabun.

Bonfire also worked with Florida based Invasive Species Brewing on a Hazy Piña Colada IPA, appropriately named Piña Collaba. This lighter bodied IPA displays the tropical flavors from Denali and Motueka hops, Pineapple, Coconut, Passionfruit, and an addition of Lactose for more mouthfeel and increased sweetness.

Ska Brewing + Ratio Beerworks

From the hearts of a bunch of punks who love great music and great beer comes this new twist on a White IPA. Magnetic North Norwegian White IPA hits with a classic wheat base, dry hopped with Mandarina Bavaria and Amarillo. The Nordic Farmhouse yeast strain gives notes of orange with a dry finish to this bright, citrusy, making Magnetic North a true Spring crusher. 

Holly Gerard shared her Magnetic North brew day shots on her badass beertography blog and Instagram feed, Aperture of Ales. Check them out here.

Funkwerks + New Image Brewing Co.

Meet Arnie, a Kettle Sour with black tea and lemon peel. This beer will cleanse your palate after a long day of diverse flavors. Don’t wait until the end of the fest to get it, though!

Eddyline Brewery + High Alpine Brewing Co. 

High Stoke Scotch Ale is a collaboration between Eddyline Brewery and High Alpine Brewing Company. A big malty nose gives way to a very slight herbal hop aroma. Rich caramel malt flavors dominate the palate, finishing with the slightest smoke impression. Mouth feel has a soft tactile feel on the tongue. Deliciously drinkable and gets even better as it warms in the glass.

Strange Craft + Fiction Beer Company

The Stranger Than Fiction is a strong Saison was brewed with oats and spelt before it fermented with a blend of Strange Craft's house Belgian yeast and Brettanomyces and barrel aged on plums and blackberries. See what they did there? 

Strange Craft + Metropolitan State University

Strange Craft also brewed a third Collab Fest beer with Metropolitan State University creating Nitro Raspberry Porter, a traditional English Porter finished on Raspberries.

Stranger Than Fiction brew day at Fiction Beer Company, photo courtesy The Brewtography Project

RadCraft 2017 Year In Review

RadCraft’s partners brewed more than 93,000 BBL of beer, malted 400,000 pounds of barley, and distilled a small but significant volume of American Single Malt whiskey in 2017.

photo by Emily Sierra Photography

Last year our partners employed 1,154 people across the country, and served their world-class beer in five states. They debuted more than 15 packaged products on the market, which included Strange Craft’s 125th anniversary beer for The Brown Palace Hotel and Spa and Deerhammer’s first extension of their flagship product, Port Cask Finish American Single Malt.

RadCraft partners contributed more than $100,000 to charitable efforts throughout the calendar year.

A few of RadCraft’s tribe dug deep into their brands, refreshing and in some cases completely overhauling their label design and beyond. Lone Tree Brewing Co. underwent a complete company rebrand via Anthem Branding in the spring, and later in the year Bonfire Brewing began refreshing their canned beer labels one by one.

Lone Tree Brewing Company was awarded a gold medal for its Mexican Lager and a silver medal for its Hop Zombie IPA at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival® in the American Style Lager or Light Lager category and the Imperial Red Ale category, respectively. RadCraft partners also brought home awards from the San Diego International Beer Festival and the Colorado State Fair, among others.

Strange Craft joined forces with Wit's End Brewing Co. on Denver's first brewery co-tasting room and brewhouse at Strange's location on Zuni Street. Wit’s End Head Brewer Tyler Bies took over as Head Brewer of both brewing operations in December 2017.

Asheville-born Thirsty Monk, brewer of Belgian-Rooted Modern Ales and operator of world-recognized craft beer bars expanded its family of pubs to Denver, Colorado and Portland, Oregon. The Monkification of these locations is underway.

That’s only a snapshot of what our partners are up to. Here are their complete 2017 Year in Reviews.

Barrels & Bottles Brewery

Bonfire Brewing

Deerhammer

Karl Strauss Brewing Co.

Lone Tree Brewing Co.

Station 26 Brewing Co.

Strange Craft Beer Co. / Wit’s End Brewing Co.

Thirsty Monk

RadCraft secured more than 2,000 earned media placements for our partners in 2017. We helped with the launch of a new brewery brand— congratulations to Spice Trade Brewing on all of its successes in year one— and the development of online presence for a company that’s been thriving for more than 13 years— props to The MBM Group, which also hired its first managing partner Anna Nadasdy this year.  

photo by Colin Bridge

In February, RadCraft Founder Emily Hutto launched the #dailystout campaign. Learn more about the effort and its 2018 development here.

In May, Little Shop of Floral made more than 20 bouquets of #GrowlerFlowers using our old growlers for our Moms on Mother’s Day. This was the soft launch of The Growler Flowers Project, a hashtag on Instagram and Twitter. There is so much more to come.

Over the summer we challenged beer-loving photographers to submit their depiction of “Summer Beer” in the Summer Session Photo Contest. The winner, Chris Rand, won our hearts with this photo of Bella and a Mountain Tap Brewery Crowler.

Throughout the year RadCraft had the honor of participating in several educational functions dedicated to professionals in the craft marketing space. If you would like resources from any of these conferences and events, feel free to reach out.

In January, our Founder Emily Hutto gave a presentation at the January Business of Beer event at Comrade Brewing advocating social media as a market research tool.

In March she moderated a panel during Colorado Craft Beer Week that celebrated the community of the breweries along the C-470 Corridor (Keep up the #C470beer hashtag, folks!), and another discussion on best practices for brewpub marketing at the inaugural Beer Marketing & Tourism Conference.

In November she had the opportunity to speak at both the North Carolina Craft Brewers Conference and the Colorado Brewers Summit about best practices for brewery blogging and brewery public relations strategies, respectively. 

Also in 2017, RadCraft was stoked to be included in two podcast episodes, both focused on our favorite topic: craft beer marketing. Thank you to Steve Schmidt at Market the Brew and Ryan Wheaton at Branding Brews for their time and great conversations!

Market The Brew, Episode 030: PR: Authentic Narratives for Unique Breweries

Branding Brews, Episode BB020: Creating a Content Calendar

In December, RadCraft celebrated its 5th anniversary. Read our reflections on five years in business here.

photo by The Brewtography Project

WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2018

We're currently in the throws of Stout Month, using the hashtag #dailystout to document our fundraising efforts for Water For Good. 

We're excited to welcome Ska Brewing to our tribe of radical crafters. Say hello to Ska, everyone! 

We're heading to Nashville for the Craft Brewers Conference in April, where we're collaborating with fellow craft marketing companies— Promote The Brew, CODO Design, and more— as co-expo vendors. Get ready.

We couldn't do what we do without our partners, our collaborators, and our friends in the craft beer community. Raising our glasses to everyone who contributed to a successful 2017 at RadCraft. Cheers to 2018! 

Ska Brewing Releases Rue B. Soho Grapefruit Lager

DURANGO, CO— Ska Brewing is excited to announce the release of Rue B. Soho, a refreshing lager brewed with cascade hops and grapefruit (5.1% ABV). Rue B. Soho, Ska’s first new release of 2018, marks the only 2018 release for Ska that will be distributed throughout all of their markets.

“This beer has seen enormous success in our tasting room this past year,” says Kristen Muraro, director of sales and marketing at Ska. “It would be nothing short of selfish not to share it with the world, or at least our friends in the 10 other states we’re distributed in."

With Rue B. Soho, Ska is building off the success of the brewery’s other popular lagers, including their award-winning Mexican Logger which shares the same yeast. Muraro said the uber-clean lager strain is the secret to showcasing the Ruby Red citrus and the classic grapefruit character of Cascade hops.

At first your nose is treated to the aroma of bright and crisp citrus, followed by a tart and light taste of grapefruit juice and carbonation on your tongue. It’s lightly acidulated, and at only 20 IBUs, it is incredibly refreshing.

Rue B. Soho will be available in 12 oz and 6-pack cans. 

To stay up-to-date on more of these kick ass developments going on at Ska, contact Emily Hutto at coop@radcraftbeer.com.

ABOUT SKA BREWING

Based in Durango, Colorado, Ska Brewing was founded in 1995 and produces more than a dozen award-winning beers.  Pioneers in the canned craft beer movement, Ska Brewing is known for an array of styles in 12 oz cans including Modus Hoperandi, Mexican Logger, Euphoria and Pinstripe.  For information (a lot of it), music, and a good time, visit www.skabrewing.com. Plug in to the latest updates, beer releases and shenanigans at facebook.com/skabrewing and twitter.com/skabrewing. 

Lessons Learned From A Month of #DailyStout Tasting

Photo by Jeff Tyler

In Colorado, February is Stout Month. It’s a short but passionate 28 days dedicated to the full-bodied, roasty, coffee-esque, malt-forward wonder that is the Stout beer style.

I love Stout, but I don’t always reach for it over other styles. I also love a good challenge.

So when a friend suggested I fully explore this beer style by tasting a different Stout every day last February, I gladly accepted. And to what was often the chagrin of my partner, I did it.

I tasted a different Stout each day in February 2017 and documented the process on social media using hashtag #dailystout. I held myself accountable for tasting at least one different Stout every day. Thirst Magazine caught on to what I was up to and they published this article about my Stout recommendations.

Stout came to be my daily liquid bread— after a month I had discovered its versatility, and I craved it. When Stout Month ended, #dailystout did not. I kept tasting and researching the style. One year later, here’s what I’ve come to know about Stout…

• There is a style of Stout for everyone.

• Stout comes with a dark beer stigma, and the style is generally misunderstood— even among craft beer drinkers.

• Stout is not Porter.

• Stout Month is one of my favorite craft marketing campaigns.

• Stout is for whiskey lovers.

• Stout can develop incredible nuanced flavor and aroma over time, if you know a thing or two about cellaring beers.

• Stout is a food-friendly beer, perfect for pairings.

• Stout is a blank canvas for a cornucopia of abstract beer ingredients.

• Stout is scarce in island communities. More on that later.

• Stout is a foundation for good causes.

2018 Stout Month is upon us and the #dailystout ritual returns! This year it’s dedicated to raising funds for the conservation of clean water, a resource that the brewing industry continues to consume more and more of. I've recruited fellow Stout tasters too. 

Throughout the month of February, we're drinking #dailystout to raise funds for Water For Good. This organization creates long-term partnerships with communities in Africa, empowering them with sustainable access to clean water and transformational development solutions. Water For Good was a natural partner for our #dailystout campaign because Africa is responsible for much of the world’s production and consumption of Stout... And we think what they're up to is pretty rad.

Whether you can donate or not, we hope you’ll join the #dailystout hashtag on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to help us spread the word.

Cheers to Stout Month!

 — Emily Hutto, RadCraft Founder

RadCraft Reflects on 5 Rad Years in Business

Photo by The Brewtography Project

Good things come in fives— like human senses, and arms on a starfish. And the number of years that we've been in business helping fermented malted barley crafters tell stories about their brands. Rarely, though, do we tell stories about our own brand. In observance of the cooperative's fifth anniversary, RadCraft's founder Emily Hutto reflects on the company's evolution. 

What Lone Tree Brewing Company's GABF Win Means For Craft

Photos by Colin Bridge, Words by Brody Leonard

Since its genesis in 1987, the Great American Beer Festival’s “American-Style Lager” category has been dominated by the goliaths of the beer industry. Pabst Blue Ribbon, Coors Banquet and other such frat party fodder took home the gold year after year. That is until 2017, when the little guys brought out the big guns. This year, Lone Tree Brewing Co. took gold with one well-placed missile: their Mexican Lager.

Straight out of Lone Tree, CO, this small brewery is serving up some game-changing beers. Formerly known as their Summer Siesta Mexican Lager, this brew’s medal marks the first time an independently owned brewery has come out on top in this style category. With movements such as Take Back Craft gaining momentum, this is big news in the brewing community.

That said, it’s not the first time a craft brewery has come close to dethroning the likes of Pabst, Coors and Miller. Lone Tree’s Mexican Lager (under its previous name) earned a silver medal at GABF 2015.

North Carolina-based Sycamore Brewing has also had success in this style category. Their Sun Grown Fresh Craft Lager earned bronze this year, as did their Southern Girl Lager in 2015. In fact, their 2015 bronze medal prompted them to collaborate with Lone Tree Brewing on an Imperial Pale Lager. The result, Breakthrough IPL, was a celebration of the two breweries almost unseating Pabst that year.

This year, almost is no longer. While Lone Tree’s head brewer, Josh West, humbly attributes the win to a “lucky alignment of the judges’ tastes that day,” happenstance seems unlikely.  

Crisp and crushable, Mexican Lagers have been a trending style in the craft beer world. There is no specific Mexican Lager category at GABF— yet— and accordingly, this style is judged under the umbrella of American-Style Lager.

This broad category attracted 75 entries this year. Lone Tree’s victory amounts to more than the gustatory whims of a panel of beer-drinking experts.

After all, the judging process at GABF is an intensive process. Without knowing the beer’s brand or brewery, judges sit down and taste brews to determine three world-class beers in each category. The GABF Awards Philosophy states that a beer must display “the proper balance of taste, aroma and appearance” in order to be awarded a gold medal.

According to the U.S. Brewers Association, an exemplary American-Style Lager should boast a straw or golden hue. Malt sweetness should be very low, as should hop aroma and overall bitterness. In short, “American Lagers [should be] very clean and crisp, and aggressively carbonated.”

Given GABF’s rigorous judging process and the competition-heavy category, Mexican Lager’s performance stands as a testament to the passion and prowess of Josh West and the rest of Lone Tree’s team.

“We were one medal away from winning Small Brewery of the Year,” remarked West. “This year’s medals are immensely motivating — we’re very excited to see what we can do at next year’s Great American Beer Festival.”

Nine Beers To Drink at Collaboration Fest Before They're Gone

Collab Fest, here we come.

The fourth annual Collaboration Festival, America's Most Creative Beer Festival, is Saturday, March 25 at Denver's National Western Complex. Here's the lowdown on the #CollabFest17 beers brewed by our partner breweries. If you need more information about the following, give us a shout at coop@radcraftbeer.com.

Representatives from each of Colorado Brewers Guild board member breweries came together on the festival welcome beer Board’s In Session.

"The CBG board wanted to create a beer that embodies the creative spirit of the Colorado craft beer industry," said press release from the Guild. "The result is an easy-drinking pale ale with hints of tropical fruit and citrus called Board’s in Session, an all Colorado beer featuring local malt from Colorado Malting Company, Cascade and Crystal hops from High Wire Hops, and a yeast strain from Brewing Science Institute. This beer comes in at 4.5 percent alcohol by volume, and will open up attendee’s palates to the rest of the festival’s libations. "

CBG Board Breweries include Strange Craft Beer Co, Ska Brewing, Left Hand Brewing Company, Pikes Peak Brewing Company, Funkwerks, Odell Brewing Company, New Belgium Brewing Company, Upslope Brewing Company, Renegade Brewing Company, Bristol Brewing Company and Pagosa Brewing Company.

Strange Craft Beer Company worked with Freetail Brewing out of San Antonio, Texas to make StrangeTail VI: Pale Lager, a smooth-drinking, hop-forward craft Lager brewed with Colorado-grown Chinook and Northwest Lemondrop hops for a thirst-quenching finish.

Lone Tree Brewing Co. and Platt Park Brewing Co. crafted Unicorn Nectar ISB. This collab is a Steam Beer or California Common, one of the first truly American styles of beer. The brewers adding a healthy dose of hop bitterness and flavor. The beer will a clean, full bodied amber with notes of biscuit and a slight touch of sweetness, surrounded by copious amounts of earthy hop flavors.

Station 26. got with the Colorado Brewers Guild and Denver's community of independently owned restaurants EatDenver to craft this food-friendly White IPA brewed with culinary ingredients— mandarin orange, coriander, and fennel. Station 26 also made Diese Scheiße ist Ananas, an imperial pineapple Berliner Weisse, with 4 Hands Brewing from St. Louis, Missouri. Station 26 created a third Collab Fest beer with Des Moines, Iowa's Exile Brewing Company. Space Goose Super Saison is an Imperial Saison re-fermented with gooseberries and dry hopped with Galaxy hops. You heard that right, folks — three collaboration beers!

Locavore Beerworks and Chicago's Aquanaut Brewing aged their Cherry Hammer, an American Brown Ale, on cherries and cocoa nibs in Deerhammer Single Malt Whiskey barrels.

Spice Trade Brewing collaborated with Denver's new Cheluna Brewing Company at the Stanley Marketplace on the Empress Mora Imperial Stout, a 10% ABV Imperial Stout aged in Infinite Monkey Theorem Cabernet Sauvignon barrels with blackberries. The addition of simple culinary ingredients added complexity to this rich dessert beer. Notes of grape and dark fruit are prominent, and complemented by the beer's dark malt profile.

The Golden breweries usually get together for at least one Collab Fest beer. Barrels + Bottles Brewery, Golden City Brewing, and Golden's new gluten-free brewery Holidaily Brewing made this year's collaboration, which might have one of the better names at the fest. The Beard, The Fro & The Ponytail is named after a distinctive feature of each of our brewer’s. The brewer’s worked together to select one style of hops each would work with. They each brewed a batch at their own facility. The final product is a blend of all three beers in a delicious hop-focused, smooth drinking Pale Ale named after their super-coiffed 'dos.

Didn't get tickets to the festival?

Breweries across the state will host special tappings of their Collaboration Fest beers on Friday, March 24 as part of the Statewide Collaboration Fest Tailgate. Visit coloradobeer.org for a list of tailgate events, and a comprehensive guide for Colorado Craft Beer Week events.

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2017 Collaboration Fest Pour List Preview