Better Together: Collaboration Fest Beers to Remember
Photo courtesy of Ryan Cox Photography
Organized by the Colorado Brewers Guild and presented by On Tap Credit Union, Collaboration Fest is the original collaboration-focused craft beer festival celebrating the camaraderie and innovation at the heart of Colorado's craft beer scene.
On April 4 at The Westin Westminster, 160+ breweries will pour over 120 exclusive, limited-edition collaboration beers. Since 2014, the fest has brought together member breweries and independent partners — from local neighbors to international collaborators — to create one-of-a-kind beers for this annual fundraiser supporting the CBG's mission to promote, protect, and propel independent craft brewing through advocacy, education, and community.
Classic styles and out-of-the-box experiments alike, the stories behind these collabs are just as fun as the beers themselves. Here are some highlights:
105 West Brewing and Wild Blue Yonder Brewing
Beer name: Batches Be Hazy
Beer style: Hazy IPA
Beer story: Neither 105 West, nor Wild Blue Yonder have used the new Erebus hop from Hopsteiner and we were excited to try a beer featured with it. This beer features Erebus as the major hop supported by Alora and Superdelic.
A Bit Twisted Brewpub & BBQ and The Elizabeth Brewing Company
Beer name: Pineapple & Anchovies Belong on Pizza
Beer style: Hazy IPA
Beer story: Hazy IPA brewed with Pineapple Puree, all anchovy hops and pizza seasonings
A Bit Twisted Brewpub & BBQ and Monolith Brewing
Beer name: TBD
Beer style: Stout
Beer story: Round three of Steven’s and my smoked food beer series! This time, we're blending smoked grains with our own house-smoked sausage and jalapeños for one beautiful concoction
Alidade Brewing, 105 West, Wild Blue Yonder, Rockyard, and Los Dos Potrillos
Beer name: Castle Rauch
Beer style: Smoked Porter w/ Cherries
Beer story: It is a Castle Rock neighborhood collaboration. As the newest member of the Castle Rock community, Alidade was excited to team up with our friends and neighbors to create a fun and unique collaboration style.
Bent Barley Brewing Co. and Danico Brewing
Beer name: "Bock of Ages" for the regular and "Chile Goat" for the chile version
Beer style: Bock and Chile Bock
Beer story: Danico and Bent Barley share a love of classic German lager styles, and who doesn’t love a bock in the spring?? So we made a lovely, complex dark lager using all German malts and hops. Yum! You knew we had to put chiles in it. Smoked Pueblo green chiles and serranos pair well with this malty bock, adding a spicy twist to this classic style.
Bent Barley Brewing Co. and Joyride Brewing Company
Beer name: Kölsch Companions
Beer style: American-Style Kölsch
Beer story: About time we did a collab! Joyride and Bent Barley are both known for their flagship Kölschs. We made this beer with Root Shoot malt, flaked rice, and HBC 1134 American noble hops for a modern American twist on a classic style.
Boulder Social and Bootstrap Brewing
Beer name: Krush Smash
Beer style: Single malt, single hop pale ale.
Beer story: No strangers to collaborating together, the band is back together again for a SMASH Pale this time around.
Black Shirt Brewing and Westminster Brewing
Beer name: Don't Tease Me, Bro
Beer style: Tea Pale Ale
Beer story: One of two Craft Brewers Conference Super Friends collab. That sounds more impressive than it actually is, it's really just a collab between friend that happened to hang out a lot at CBC last year. Get ready for an American Pale ale brewed with Alora and Citra hops with a health dose of The Tea Spot Sencha and Boulder Blues tea in the mix. Green tea, peach, strawberry, and rhubarb aromas in a modern American Pale Ale, it's so good you're gonna say to the beer - Don't Tease Me, Bro.
Breckenridge Brewery Fort Collins and Verboten North
Beer name: Sidetrack Shuffle-Honey Rye Lager
Beer style: Honey Rye Lager
Beer story: We wanted to do something that would satisfy our love for easy drinking lager but with a twist. Using some more characterful malts along with malted rye we were able to achieve a balance of easy drinking and flavor forward. The name is a nod to the local dive we used to frequent after busy bartending shifts or crazy brew fests where we may or may not have needed to do the short shuffle home...
Broken Compass Brewing and Breckenridge Brewery and Pub
Beer name: D U A L I P A
Beer style: West Coast IPA
Beer story: Being the only two breweries in Breck, many folks think we're competitors. But the exact opposite is the case. Always hanging out at each others breweries it just made sense to team up and make a beer with all Colorado ingredients from The State of Craft Beer.. Billy Goat hops, Root Shoot malts and Inland Island yeast make this the perfect Colorado IPA. We brewed a beer that we want to drink - a crisp, low ABV IPA that’s easy to share with friends!
Broken Compass Brewing and Strange Craft Beer
Beer name: Magnetic Anomaly (regular version) 11 Years Later (barrel-aged version)
Beer style: West Coast IPA
Beer story: After 11 years of being great friends in Colorado’s brewing scene, Tim and Ford finally decided to bring Strange Craft and Broken Compass together for a collaboration! Great people coming together to do great things for one of Colorado’s best beer festivals!
Cannonball Creek and Glenwood Canyon Brewpub
Beer name: Italian Pils
Beer style: Italian Pils
Beer story: Mutual respect between two breweries with a passion for pale hoppy lager. Malt: Pilsner and chit. Hops: Saphir Abstrax Quantum Saaz.
Cannonball Creek and ISM Brewing (CA)
Beer name: Morally Dankrupt
Beer style: WCIPA
Beer story: A Collaboration built on mutual respect between two WCIPA breweries. Reflecting the similar style of both breweries, this IPA is massively aromatic and highly drinkable.
Cellar West Brewery and Fritz Family Brewers
Beer name: Powder Cow
Beer style: Saison with Lemon Peel
Beer story: Cory from Fritz and Zach from Cellar West are both from Wisconsin and enjoy hanging out at each other's breweries. Both breweries brew a lot of European styles so a Saison seemed right, and the brewers used some of Cory’s favorite German Vienna malt along with Cellar West’s Saison yeast. French-grown Aramis hops were a first for both breweries; lemon peel was also added to the whirlpool to provide a light, citrus edge.
Cheluna Brewing and Second Dawn Brewing
Beer name: Verde Veritas
Beer style: Fruited Lager
Beer story: While not the first time Second Dawn Brewing Co. and Cheluna Brewing Company have crossed paths, we wanted to make this brew extra special. Inspired by our neighborhood’s vibrant history and culture, as well as our respective house Mexican lagers, we kicked it up with tangy tomatillo, a jalapeño kick, and just a touch of salt. The result is refreshing, zesty, and unmistakably rooted in our shared community.
Coal Mine Ave Brewing, Wild Sky Brewery, and Chain Reaction Brewing
Beer name: Uncommon Link
Beer style: Pale Ale with honey, lemon, and rosemary
Beer story: 3 brewers whose destiny has been thoroughly intertwined with the anchor being Chain Reaction. We are a perfect example of how close knit this industry is. This is bittersweet because we have so much fun with these collabs, but we are going to miss Wild Sky. It would take at least 3 pages to share how intertwined our journey has been.
Coal Mine Ave Brewing, Zymos Brewing, Lariat Lodge, Comet Brews, Breckenridge Brewery, and Locavore Beer Works
Beer name: LittleFUN II
Beer style: Tequila Sunrise inspired Mexican Lager
Beer story: Littleton isn't really thought of as a city for craft beer. We want people to know that we're here and we're doing great things!
Cohesion Brewing and Novel Strand Brewing
Beer name: FAMILY TREE
Beer style: Pale Lager
Beer story: Novel Strand and Cohesion have collaborated for most of the collab fests in the past and this was a continuation of that trend. We decided to use a lager strain that was new to both of us and add some hops that all share a family tree. Saaz, Riwaka, and NZH-106 blend old world and new world hops together in a pale lager package.
Colorado Beer Media, River North Brewery, and Strange Craft Beer
Beer name: Above the Fold
Beer style: Strong BA Cherry Porter
Beer story: Above the Fold - the term invokes the eye-catching headline or photo that draws you into the page, inviting you to learn more. This beer is designed to draw you in with the 'folded' flavors of River North's barrel-aged porter and Strange Craft's classic Kriek, melded into a feature we know you'll enjoy. The Colorado Beer Media reached out to these two Colorado stalwarts for a collaboration that deserves headlines. Still, we know it will certainly result in a line to try this newsworthy blend at the Collaboration Fest!
Comrade Brewing and Zuni Street Brewing
Beer name: Deadline Tomorrow
Beer style: West Coast IPA
Beer story: We’ve been long time friends with Zuni street but have never made a beer together. We decided it was time.
Crystal Springs Brewing and Grimm Brothers
Beer name: Dort Lager
Beer style: Dortmunder Export
Beer story: Dortmunder lagers don’t always get the love they deserve here in Colorado, so we decided to take a crack at one ourselves. Think of it as a pilsner on roids—crisp, balanced, and just a little amped up. Grimm and Crystal bonded over a shared love of German beers (and a shared distributor), so this collab felt meant to be. We hope you enjoy!
Crystal Springs Brewing and Zymos Brewing
Beer name: Buzzword
Beer style: Thiolized Citra-Boosted West Coast Pilsner
Beer story: This West Coast Pilsner puts the spotlight on the forever‑loved Citra hop. We packed it with every variation we could get our hands on—T90, Cryo, Dynaboost, Hyperboost, and even Cryo‑Fresh. And because we couldn’t resist going full nerd, we finished it off with a thiolizing yeast strain to crank up the aroma. All the buzzwords, all in one beer.
Danico Brewing and Breckenridge Brewery
Beer name: Never Winter
Beer style: Saison
Beer story: Breck & Danico have a history dating back years before Danico opened. Danico's brewer Alan used to live and brew up in Summit County and Danico's owner Nikki used to work at Breckenridge and occasionally brew with the team there! We were thrilled to be able to come together on the "Never Winter" strawberry-basil saison to recognize the ridiculous weather we've had this year. Bright summery flavors for an easy drinking patio beer seemed just the thing to represent the type of "winter" we've had this year. Drinking beers outside in Breckenridge in February in short sleeves was the vibe of the brew day and pairs well with the deliciousness we mixed up for the festival!
Elevation Beer Beer Co., Falling Rock Tap House, and Brewing Science Institute (BSI)
Beer name: Falling Rock nost-Ale-gia
Beer style: Double IPA
Beer story: Elevation Beer and BSI collaborated with Chris Black of Falling Rock Tap House fame to brew a hoppy tribute to the glory days of craft beer. This Double IPA showcases Columbus, Chinook & Simcoe hops as well as BSI's Hornindal Kviek Yeast strain.
Fiction Beer Company and Whistle Pig Brewing
Beer name: Peach Size Dreams
Beer style: SMaSH Brut IPA
Beer story: Our breweries met at Colorado Brewer's Summit and both expressed concern for the 'little guys' out there trying to make it by in this chaos of a brewing world. This beer is inspired by just that, we might be small, but we all have large, 'peach' size dreams. The beer will be utilizing a Single Malt and Single Hop of Dolcita, to provide peach aromas and flavors. We are also adding 10 pounds of peach rings to up those notes!
Fiction Beer Company and Wild Sky Brewery
Beer name: Not Made for Defest
Beer style: Saison Farmhouse Table Beer
Beer story: Our breweries met at a pouring in Lone Tree and again at GABF. Our histories aligned in the moment with many obstacles in the recent past, from a brewery closing, being bought, and reopening to another closing a location, and eventually closing altogether. But we will continue to prevail, whether through others in the industry, or through our own accomplishments. This beer is for those who never give up as a man can be destroyed, but never defeated!
Fossil Craft Beer and Paramount BeerWerks
Beer name: Hola Bock
Beer style: Mexican Maibock
Beer story: A traditional Maibock brewed with Mexican Lager influence, a Cinco de Maibock you could say.
Fossil Craft Beer and Phantom Canyon
Beer name: Continental Drift
Beer style: New Zealand Pilsner
Beer story: An experimental crispy pilsner brewed with innovative new hop products and traditional New Zealand hops.
Full Frame Beer and Odell Sloans Lake
Beer name: Smoke
Beer style: Grodzinsky
Beer story: Two women brewers come together to make beer taste like smoke.
Glenwood Canyon Brewing and Blacktooth Brewing (WY)
Beer name: Western Export
Beer style: Pre Prohibition Lager
Beer story: Brewed in collaboration between Glenwood Canyon Brewing Company and Black Tooth Brewing Company, this Pre-Prohibition style lager honors the brewing traditions that helped shape the American West. Colorado ingredients lead the way, with Root Shoot malted barley and corn and Billy Goat Crystal hops; lending a clean grain character and bright herbal snap. A nod to the past, brewed with the spirit of Colorado today.
Gilded Goat Brewing Company and Urban Animal Beer Company
Beer name: Spring Stampede
Beer style: Maibock
Beer story: Gilded Goat and Urban Animal joined forces to celebrate the changing seasons with Spring Stampede, a Maibock that balances a rich, bready malt profile with a crisp, floral finish perfect for the Colorado thaw. We bridged the gap between Fort Collins and Colorado Springs, blending our shared passion for traditional styles with animalistic, high-altitude twist: a deceptively smooth, golden lager that packs a punch and signals that spring has officially arrived.
Grimm Brothers Brewing and Black Tooth Brewing (WY)
Beer name: Winds of Change
Beer style: West Coast Pilsner
Beer story: We used all Colorado grown malt (Root Shoot Malting) to lay down a crisp base for a significant dry hop charge consisting of NZ Superdelic and NZ Riwaka. This collaboration is between two like-minded breweries that focus on drinkable, traditional styles who wanted to learn from each other. We believe big flavor does not need to equate to high ABV or adjunct ingredients. This beer showcases big aroma and flavor while also leaning into a traditional, sessional style.
Grossen Bart Brewery and Mountain Merman Brewing Company
Beer name: Liquid Thanksgiving - Get Basted
Beer style: Veggie Casserole Pale Ale
Beer story: The brewers at Mountain Merman and Grossen Bart finally brought a long-simmering idea to life with the release of Veggie Casserole Pale Ale. What started as a running joke and late-night brew deck brainstorming slowly turned into a serious (but still playful) collaboration. An idea that’s been brewing for years has finally found its way from conversation to kettle. Liquid Thanksgiving is the deliciously unexpected result of creativity, friendship, and a shared love for pushing boundaries
Hello Brew Co. and Full Frame Beer
Beer name: Pocket Pale
Beer style: Pale Ale
Beer story: We have been chatting a while and we are fans of lagers and flavorful but manageable abv beers
Highside Brewing & BBQ and Animas Brewing Company
Beer name: Stay Grassy Colorado
Beer style: Belgian Wit with Lemongrass and Bravo Hops
Beer story: A couple of old codgers and friends for many years brewing a collab again! We decided on an easy drinking Wit with Lemongrass and Coriander and a little citrus hop kick to make it super crushable! We want this beer to be a hit for us and our taprooms without the hype of something ridiculous or stupid.... or we wouldn't be old and cranky!
Joyride Brewing Company and Westbound & Down Brewing Company
Beer name: Eternal Return
Beer style: New Zealand Pils
Beer story: Joyride and Westbound & Down are at it again, teaming up for their 5th consecutive Collab Fest and 13th collaboration total! As usual, we made something hop forward, this time featuring Nelson cryo and Nectaron on top of a light pilsner base. This is an annual tradition for us, and we love making delicious hop forward beer for you to enjoy.
Knotted Root Brewing and Narrow Gauge Brewing (MO)
Beer name: Whispering Sin DIPA
Beer style: New England Double IPA
Beer story: Knotted Root flew to St. Louis in the spring of 2020 to make this beer at Narrow Gauge's original location. Now, 6 years later, we are bringing it back. Our collab was filled with good food and good times so we had to make it again. It's a juicy Unfiltered DIPA that combines our unique brewing characteristics to create a delicious beverage for your enjoyment.
Lady Justice Brewing and Chain Reaction Brewing Company
Beer name: Dozens of Dollars
Beer style: Black IPA
Beer story: Have you ever gotten a little tipsy at your favorite brewery, run into your neighbor and say, "Let's hang out sometime!" This is a collab about follow through.
Launch Pad Brewery and Crosby Hops
Beer name: B-Side Banger
Beer style: Hazy IPA
Beer story: High above the brewhouse floor at Launch Pad Brewery, the crew set out to build a hazy IPA worthy of a new mission. Partnering with Crosby Hops, they loaded the tanks with Deep Cut Cascade, a rare late-harvest selection bursting with bright citrus and soft stone fruit character. The extra time on the bine gave the hops a deeper, juicier profile that shines through the haze like a comet tail. The result is a beer that proves sometimes the best launches come from waiting just a little longer.
Launch Pad Brewery and Gravity Brewing
Beer name: Chibi
Beer style: Japanese Rice Lager
Beer story: Launch Pad Brewery teamed up with Gravity Brewing to craft a crisp Japanese Rice Lager named Chibi, inspired by the beauty of simplicity. Brewed with rice for a light body and ultra-clean finish, it’s a beer built for balance and drinkability. Delicate notes of soft grain and subtle floral hops keep things refreshing from the first sip to the last. Like its name suggests, Chibi may be small in spirit, but it delivers big refreshment.
Liquid Mechanics and Base Camp Beer Works
Beer name: Potsdamer Stange
Beer style: Potsdamer Stangenbier
Beer story: Potsdamer Stangenbier is a traditional, top-fermented beer style from Potsdam, Germany, often described as a refreshing, golden-amber colored, and slightly fruity beer. Traditionally unfiltered and served in a Stange glass
Liquid Mechanics and Pinthouse Brewing (TX)
Beer name: West Coast Cartel
Beer style: West Coast IPA
Beer story: West Coast Cartel is a running collaboration series of West Coast IPAs. Highlighting some of the best West Coast IPA producers in the country, this rendition was a collab with Pinthouse (Austin, TX) featuring select Citra, Mosaic and Rakau
Littleton Brewing and TightKnit Brewing Co.
Beer name: Rotbier
Beer style: Rotbier (Red Lager)
Beer story: A modern take on a classic lager. Decocted for extra deep color, flavor & aroma
Living the Dream Brewing Company and Littleton Brewing
Beer name: Midnight Summit
Beer style: Schwarzbier
Beer story: We'd been talking about collaborating for a while, showing some mutual love and respect for our Littleton community. We were super excited to do a traditional, decocted lager to build incredible body and flavor. We also wanted to highlight some amazing malt from Root Shoot in Loveland. This dark lager has hyper drinkability and a smooth toasted character. Just like enjoying a stein in Germany. Prost!
Living the Dream Brewing Company and WestFax Brewing
Beer name: Astronaut Juice
Beer style: West Coast IPA
Beer story: We built a west coast style IPA and fermented it with lager yeast, S-34/70. This led to a smooth malt profile to highlight the expressive hops: Tangier, Zumo, Strata, CRYO Columbus, and Simcoe. This combo brings the resin notes you expect of a west coast with a super punchy tangerine and citrus flavor reminiscent of an astronaut's drink of choice. Cheers!
Locavore Beer Works and Soulcraft Brewing
Beer name: Take Off, eh!
Beer style: North American Belgian-inspired Tripel on cherries
Beer story: Canadian Belgian yeast, Canadian hops, Canadian/American grain, Montmorency Cherry. Kyle, brewer at Soulcraft, was Locavore's first brewer. This collab was long overdue
Lone Tree Brewing and Seedstock Brewery
Beer name: Outback Bramble
Beer style: Australian Sparkling Ale
Beer story: This is a unique beer style, with the additions of blackberry, pineapple, and lemon peel. Finishing at 0 plato, this is very dry. We have never done a collab with seedstock, Jerry from seedstock and John from Lone tree have known each other for a while.
Los Dos Potrillos Cervecería and Zuni Street Brewing
Beer name: San Luis Schwarz
Beer style: Rye Schwarzbier
Beer story: Through the power of friendship and stellar vibes LDP Beer & Zuni Street partnered with Rye Resurgence out of the San Luis Valley to showcase their Elbon Rye.
LUKI Brewery and Stay Tuned Brewing
Beer name: Midnight Munchies
Beer style: Baja Blast Wheat Beer
Beer story: This beer is designed to mimic the flavors of Baja Blast using tangerine, mango and pineapple flavors along with lime-candy aromas. We decided to collaborate because Kevin (LUKI brewer) first professional brewing experience was under Alex (Stay Tuned brewer) when Alex was at Someplace Else Brewery. Stay Tune's co-owner Shane and Kevin are both Regis Craft Beer Program Alumni.
Mad Macks Brewing and Tommyknocker Brewery
Beer name: Brown Ale With Questionable Decisions
Beer style: English Brown
Beer story: The mountains were restless, the tricksters were loud, and somehow both breweries got the same mysterious note: “Meet at the mouth of the mountain. Bring hops.” So we did. And under lantern light and a whole lot of mischief, we brewed a beer with Tommyknocker that blends mountain magic, miner‑spirit chaos, and pure Mad Macks energy. Introducing: Brown Ale with Questionable Decisions. A collab born from legends, brewed with troublemakers, and best enjoyed with snacks safely guarded.
MainStage Brewing and Broken Hops Brewing
Beer name: Pink Bunny Club
Beer style: Fruited IPA
Beer story: Did the world need another IPA? How about another fruit beer? If you answered no, then this beer isn't for you. A fiscally irresponsible amount of Nectaron, Riwaka, and Superdelic hops meet up with passion fruit and dragon fruit. A silly pink beer for the best beer fest.
Mash Mechanix Brewing Co. and Peaks N Pines Brewery
Beer name: American Hop Revolution
Beer style: IPA
Beer story: American Hop Revolution IPA is a tribute to the dual anniversary of America's 250th and Colorado's 150th termed "sesquisemiquincentennial"! We brewed this once in a lifetime beer using locally grown red wheat, white barley, and blue corn. We used Colorado grown hops and yeast to round out this all American, all Colorado beer. This beer was proudly made by brewers hailing from every corner of the country. From Alaska, Massachusetts, Texas, Arizona, Colorado, we collaborated under the shadow of America’s Mountain to honor the Centennial State
Milieu Fermentation and Lady Justice Brewing Company
Beer name: American Ninja Keyboard Warrior
Beer style: Double Hazy IPA
Beer story: We're excited to collaborate on Lady Justice's first Double Hazy IPA going on their menu! This thing will feature a new hop product Nelson and Waimea "Cold Pressed Hop Juice.”
Mirror Image Brewing and Broken Hops Brewing
Beer name: Snoop a Loop
Beer style: WC Pils
Beer story: Just a quick answer to a craigslist missed connections ad and the rest is history, it went like this: Our eyes met through the window of the Prost brewhouse for a quick second. You were taking notes on your computer, data driven, I'm sure. Just seemed like our interests align, and thought maybe we should collab together. If you feel the same way, send a sign
Mirror Image Brewing, Downhill Brewing, and Propagate Labs
Beer name: Triskelion
Beer style: Grand Cru
Beer story: When you gather this much awesomeness into one brewhouse, how can you go wrong? The epitome of what we believe the craft beer industry is all about. Great friends, brilliant minds, all getting together as one crew to make a Grand cru.
Mountain Toad Brewing and Evergreen Brewery
Beer name: Boil 'em, Mash 'em, Stick 'em in a Brew
Beer style: Experimental TTRPG Beer
Beer story: We are all huge nerds and we love Dungeons and Dragons and other table-top RPGs. So we decided not to just make a beer but to make a whole "character creation system" that will create the beer for us. We even wrote a whole handbook on how to use this new "Brewing System"! The system created dozens of beers and we chose to make our favorite of the bunch.
Mountain Toad Brewing and Tobacco Road Brewery (NC)
Beer name: OBX 14er
Beer style: Table Beer
Beer story: One of Mountain Toad’s brewers moved to North Carolina a few years ago and now brews at Tobacco Road Brewing. This collaboration is a reuniting of friends to create something brand new and connect our new homes with the old. We combine peaches, to symbolize Colorado, and pecans, to symbolize North Carolina, in a highly sessionable Belgian beer that was brewed for sharing new stories with old friends.
New Image Brewing Company and Casey Brewing & Blending
Beer name: Fresh Eyes
Beer style: NZ Hop West Coast IPA
Beer story: Thinking about some of the best WC IPAs we’ve produced in 2025, flowable cold side extracts have been a common theme amongst the bangers. Recently, Freestyle Farms Research Collective announced “Cold Pressed Hop Juice” a flowable, cold side extract using a freshly harvested hops from their farm in Nelson. So it’s their Hop Kief process, but with fresh hops. Really this is the first time we’ve ever had the ability to produce anything remotely “fresh hop” with NZ products and we couldn’t be more excited about it
New Image Brewing Company and Cellarmaker Brewing (CA)
Beer name: Geographically Misleading
Beer style: Bay Area Style IPA
Beer story: We do a lot of things similarly already with WC IPA, we use a ton of Cryo, a lean malt bill and hops that are stone fruit and cannabis forward, but Cellarmaker has a couple tricks that we’re excited to play with. The first is water and the second is yeast. They keep things cold and slow with the goal of retaining the maximum amount of hop flavor and aroma while adding minimal yeast derived flavor.
OCC Brewing, Root Shoot Malting, and Brewing Science Institute
Beer name: The Czar's Bastard
Beer style: Barrel Aged Baltic Porter
Beer story: Our friend from Whiskey Slickers picked a barrel of Root Shoot's award winning American Single Malt Whiskey and gifted us the barrel. What better to put in a Root Shoot whiskey barrel than a Baltic Porter made with all Root Shoot malts and my former employer's, the Brewing Science Institute, BSI-980 Bavarian Dunkel yeast!
Odell Brewing Five Points Brewhouse and Comrade Brewing Company
Beer name: Convertible Cargo Pants
Beer style: IPA
Beer story: Comrade makes great IPAs and we have some cool hops. It was time to collab on a recipe and have some fun
Odell Sloan's Lake Brewhouse and Crosby Hops
Beer name: It's Just Numbers
Beer style: WC Pilsner
Beer story: We brewed with Crosby's experimental hops CH02 and a small amount of the Deep Cut Cascade. A crisp and refreshing hoppy beer. We collaborated for the love of hops.
Odyssey Brewing and Second Dawn Brewing
Beer name: PAINKILLER IPA
Beer style: IPA based on the Painkiller cocktail
Beer story: Turns out that the folks at Second Dawn and Odyssey have known each other for well over a decade and both have made more than a few flavor-infused beers. We put those big brains together and came up with this delightful idea - a juicy IPA with pineapple, orange, and coconut, based on the classic cocktail. What could possibly go wrong?
Old 121 Brewhouse, Landlocked, Westfax, and Green Mountain
Beer name: Pineapple Smokespress
Beer style: Pineapple, Chipotle Smoked Blonde Ale with Terpenes
Beer story: Our annual collab with the Lakewood Brewing Collective! This year, breweries of Lakewood got together to bring experimental (Pineapple Express Terpenes) with more traditional (smoked beer, fruit, and peppers) inspiration. We also are working with Lakewood-owned Piggin' Out BBQ to smoke our pineapples and jalapeños to create a spicy, sweet, and smoky concoction.
Old 121 Brewhouse and Ratio Beerworks
Beer name: Toast & Tea
Beer style: Chai Vienna Lager
Beer story: A little toast with tea, this is a toasty Vienna Lager that we brewed with Chai tea and fresh ginger. We wanted to bring a fun twist to a traditional lager style and the tea lager was formed!
Oskar Blues Brewing and Bootstrap Brewing
Beer name: Rock Onward
Beer style: Hoppy American Citrus Wheat
Beer story: We’re hopping up an American Tangerine Wheat featuring a new Hop variety called Tangier with a little help from Amarillo and Citra to create citrus hop flavors and aromas to pair nicely with tangerine peel powde
Our Mutual Friend Brewing and Stodgy Brewing Company
Beer name: Bodgy
Beer style: American Bock
Beer story: This beer is inspired by our love of brewing with Colorado ingredients and showing that classic and modern beer styles can be made using local ingredients. Brewed with Troubadour malt, Kernza, and Colorado CTZ and Colorado crystal hops
Peculier and Rally King
Beer name: Grand Daddy Pulp
Beer style: DDH Hazy IPA
Beer story: We are making a citrus forward IPA base and then infusing it with freshly ground Tahitian vanilla and freshly zested oranges to create an orange creamsicle IPA
Phantom Canyon Brewing Company, Mash Mechanix, Gunslinger, Brewing, and Urban Animal Brewery
Beer name:Smokey and the Bandit
Beer style: Smoked Bock
Beer story: Gunslinger, Mash Mechanix, Phantom Canyon, and Urban Animal have officially joined forces to release Smokey and the Bandit, a 6.1% ABV Rauchbock (Smoked Bock) fueled by a shared passion for beer and a suspiciously high tolerance for each other’s company. This liquid celebration of downtown camaraderie features a bold blend of toasted bread, caramel, and rich beechwood smoke that hits smoother than a Trans Am. We’ve channeled our collective grit and friendship into a single fermenter to prove that the best way to enjoy downtown Colorado Springs is with a pint in hand and a few good neighbors by your side
Platt Park Brewing and Grossen Bart Brewery
Beer name: Fillmore Fog
Beer style: California Common/Steam Beer
Beer story: Platt Park Brewing and Grossen Bart Brewing joined forces for a brew day inspired by the classic California Common. With plenty of laughs, brewing talk, and a shared love for traditional styles, the team crafted a steam beer featuring toasty malt character, balanced bitterness, and the signature profile that comes from fermenting lager yeast at warmer temps. It was one of those brew days that reminds you, beer is best made with friends. As a nod to both Anchor Steam/San Francisco and Denver, we named this beer Fillmore Fog.
Platt Park Brewing and Mountain Merman Brewing Co.
Beer name: Smokin’ In The Van
Beer style: Smoked Tea Beer
Beer story: The thing about me is if I see a smoked beer on a menu, I am going to order it. While sipping on one and catching up at a local brewery, I was telling JD (Mountain Merman) how much I’d love to brew one, but I’m hesitant to full send it on our 10bbl system. The ever supportive friend, he said, “well come on down and let’s do one on mine!” I’ve always loved the tea beers JD brews at Mountain Merman and when it came down to selecting a collab, he had the idea to make a tea beer using Russian Caravan tea to get that smoky flavor I love and here we are! The mash smelled absolutely amazing with the smokiness and we are so amped to share this with everyone at Collab Fest. - Jules D., Platt Park Brewing
Primitive Beer and Voodoo Brewing (PA)
Beer name: Confident Misinformation
Beer style: Lambic-inspired Spontaneous Beer
Beer story: Our friends at Voodoo Brewing in Meadville, Pennsylvania have welcomed us to Good Vibes Festival for the last few years. Known in the industry as "Brewers Summer Camp," we really got into the spirit by bringing Bag-in-Box SponSponBingBong to slap the bag in the creek post-festival! This inevitable friendship collaboration is a carefully selected 4-year blend that was finished in both ruby port barrels and Family Jones rye whiskey barrels. It was inspired by the New York Sour cocktail that both parties enjoy.
Prost Brewing, Zwei Brewing, and Root Shoot Malting
Beer name: Thunder Struck Export Pils
Beer style: GR Export Pilsner
Beer story: We wanted to take an opportunity to highlight the new pilsner malt coming off of the Kaspar Schulz malting equipment at Root Shoot Malting (Thunder Pilsner Malt). Zwei and Prost were actually connected through our mutual friend Heyward at Root Shoot and the potential to brew Kaspar Schulz created malt on our Kaspar Schulz brewhouse was too good of an opportunity to pass up. We selected an Export Pilsner because it felt like a great way to showcase the German processing methods, equipment, and raw materials. The results are a crisp, bright, and elegant Pilsner that we hope everyone gets an opportunity to enjoy
Ramblebine Brewing Company and Shelter Distilling and Brewing
Beer name: Hop On The Cob
Beer style: Blue Corn Cold IPA
Beer story: Western Slope friends, Shelter and Ramblebine, have been looking for a chance to brew together since meeting at a fest a few years ago. We decided to use some blue corn to add a slight color and flavor to a hopped up cold IPA featuring Strata and a blend of New Zealand varietals.
Ramblebine Brewing Company and Base Camp Beer Works
Beer name: Smoke On The Water (first variant) and Fire In The Sky (second variant)
Beer style: Smoked Helles
Beer story: We designed a classic Helles lager and substituted half of the Pilsner malt with smoked Malt. We then made a small batch variant with Chipotle peppers. Base Camp and Ramblebine love working together and this is our third year collaborating together for this fest.
Resolute Brewing Company and Reverence Brewing Company
Beer name: Spud-Zero
Beer style: Cold Hazy Potato IPA
Beer story: Hazy IPA brewed with flaked potatoes and fermented with lager yeast. Nate and Kyle worked together at Avery and have been planning to collab for a long time. Cold hazy ipa is here, and potatoes make a great adjunct.
River North Brewery and Los Dos Potrillos
Beer name: Step Father Figure
Beer style: West Coast Mexican Lager
Beer story: The brewers at Los Dos Potrillos and River North have been friends for many years. What better reason to collaborate than as an excuse to drink and brew beer with old friends? That's what collaboration is all about, right?
Ska Brewing and Hopsteiner
Beer name: West Coast Pils
Beer style: West Coast Pils
Beer story: Ska and Hopsteiner have been partners for years and it just made sense. We’re also collaborating on an NA option for all the amazing DD’s supporting the fest!
Ska Brewing and Hopsteiner
Beer name: LLZ Mexican Logger
Beer style: Lemon Lime Zest Mexican Logger
Something Brewery and Empourium Brewing Company
Beer name: Pulp Project
Beer style: Hazy IPA
Beer story: This one was a blast to brew. We set out to make an orange juice style hazy IPA. Basically juice on top of juice l, and it absolutely delivers. Brewed with the new Dolcita hop, this hazy bursts with notes of fresh orange, mango, and peach rings, giving it a vibrant citrusy pop. We also used Dry Tropics yeast from Berkeley, which layers in even more tropical character and keeps everything juicy and expressive. We’re really excited about this beer and had a great time brewing it with these guys—trading ideas, comparing techniques, and seeing how each brewery approaches the process
Something Brewery and Square State Brewing (WY)
Beer name: Joey from Blossom
Beer style: Jasmine Rice Lager with Cherry Blossom & Honey
Beer story: The breweries thought the delicacy of cherry blossom and honey would go along with the elegance of lager to make a clean, crisp, delicious refreshing beer for spring and summer months
Steamworks Brewing Company and Anarchy Brewing Company
Beer name: Vendredi 13
Beer style: A dark strong Belgian with spices
Beer story: Brewed on Friday the 13th it pays homage to one of our all time favorite beers Trois Pistoles from the French Canadian brewery Unibroue
The Elizabeth Brewing Co and Scott Free Brewing Company (NE)
Beer name: The mullets currant affair
Beer style: Mulberry black currant nut brown
Beer story: Scott free brewing is in Gering, Nebraska. The brewers from both places have been friends for a couple years, and try to collab when possible in order to share beer with old friends and new people alike.
Tommyknocker Brewery and Cabin Creek Brewing
Beer name: Obscured By Clouds
Beer style: Hazy Blood Orange Belgian Quad IPA
Beer story: As local mountain town breweries, we often work together on community based projects. Blended for an Easter Seals fund raiser, we thought this would be a unique beer experience for Collabfest 2026. A beautiful blend of Tommyknocker "Blood Orange Hazy" and Cabin Creek "Dark Side of the Plume" Belgian quad. Notes of citrus, ripe fruit, raisin with just a hint of banana, this mauve colored beer impresses.
Tres Litros Beer Company and Angry James Brewery
Beer name: Spotted Richard Stout
Beer style: Pastry Stout
Beer story: Tres Litros wanted to collaborate with Angry James based on prior friendships and respect for their beer quality and taproom experience. We have decided to make a pastry stout based on the flavor profile of the British dessert, Spotted Dick Pudding. We'll be using dried currants, orange zest, vanilla beans and lactose.
Two22 Brew and Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales (NE)
Beer name: BFMHIPA
Beer style: Hazy Mango Habanero IPA
Beer story: Approximately 2016 Kirk was homebrewing and sharing recipes with me in Castle Rock. Since then he opened his own brewery Bearded Brewer Artisan Ales in Omaha NE and is killing it. Since then he opened a second location in Longmont CO. He came by Two22 Brew a few weeks ago and I hit him up to collaborate.. Instantly this Mango Habanero IPA formed.
Two22 Brew and Woods Boss Brewing
Beer name: Forage and Flow
Beer style: Kölsch
Beer story: A German Kölsch brewed with copious amounts of Chanterelle Mushrooms and Ponderosa Pine Needles
Urban Animal Brewery and Launch Pad Brewery
Beer name: Omaha Beach
Beer style: French Pilsner
Beer story: Paul and Jordan wanted to create a super crushable beer with a unique twist. Using French grain and a combination of Barbe Rouge and Elixir hops, we created a "new style" of pilsner. A beer for brewers by brewers from Aurora to Colorado Springs. Cheers!
Vail Brewing Company and Oskar Blues Brewery
Beer name: Monkeys and Typewriters
Beer style: Juicy IPA
Beer story: Brewer's Juice Drapeau (Oskar Blue's) and Garrett Scahill (Vail Brewing Co.) are both from Maine and met years ago at CBG Salida Beer Fest and became friends instantly. They both have a love for hop forward beers and this is now their second collaboration together. This beer is brewed with 100% Colorado grown malt, hand selected hops including newer varieties such as Elani, Tangier, and Krush.
Verboten Brewing and Barrel Project and Gravity Brewing
Beer name: Viener Vino
Beer style: Honey Whiskey Barrel-Aged Viennawine
Beer story: Let’s make a Barleywine with Vienna malt we said! Our first time collaborating together, we just had to make a beer both breweries are passionate about. Made a year ago so we could age it in barrels in preparation for Collabfest
Verboten North Brewpub and Mythmaker Brewing
Beer name: Blister in the Sun
Beer style: Petite Saison
Beer story: Blister in the Sun is a bright, refreshing Petite Saison brewed in collaboration with Tom at Mythmaker Brewing, featuring Dolcita and Barbe Rouge hops layered with citrus peel, Indian coriander, chamomile, and pink peppercorn. We teamed up for CollabFest to celebrate creativity, collaboration, and our shared love of pushing classic beer styles in new directions. Fermented warm with Hornindal kveik and built on a rustic grain bill, the beer finishes crisp, dry, and delightfully drinkable. It’s a small beer with big character—made by beer nerds for the beer nerds.
Very Nice Brewing and BJ's Brewhouse Boulder
Beer name: Honey I Shrunk the Beer
Beer style: Session Honey IPA
Beer story: Our 5th year of Collaboration but BJ's and The Very Nice Brewing company have been close friends for over 13 years! Aaron Stueck, R&D director for BJ's allowed Jeffrey Green, Owner /Brewer for The Very Nice Brewing Company, to shadow him starting in 2011. Green opened his brewery in 2012. Ever since the two have been brewing Colleagues/Friends through the Colorado Brewer's Guild.
WeldWerks Brewing Company and Equilibrium Brewery (NY)
Beer name: ScienceWerks
Beer style: Hazy Double IPA
Beer story: We brought back this popular beer with one of our favorite Hazy IPA breweries in the country, Equilibrium, specifically for Collab Fest. ScienceWerks is a Hazy Double IPA brewed with Strata, Citra and Mosaic hops, featuring notes of peach rings, mango nectar, and lime zest on top of homemade whipped cream. So, whether you're feeling like Jekyll, Hyde, or Einstein today, this brew has you covered
WeldWerks Brewing Company, Full Frame Beer, and Our Mutual Friend Brewing
Beer name: Noche, Mi Amigo
Beer style: Barrel Aged Imperial Pastry Stout
Beer story: Born from a shared love of innovation and pushing the boundaries of beer, Noche, Mi Amigo is an Imperial Stout aged in a blend of Weller, Stagg Jr., Old Fitzgerald and Willett bourbon barrels, then finished on toasted coconut flakes, unsweetened raw coconut chips, toasted hazelnuts, black sesame, caramel and sea salt. There is only one keg in existence and it's available exclusively at Collab Fest!
WeldWerks Brewing Company and Inland Island Yeast
Beer name: Smells Like Steam Spirit
Beer style: California Common
Beer story: A nod to West Coast brewing heritage, Smells Like Steam Spirit is a California Common Ale brewed with Inland Island Yeast’s Steamer Lager strain. This beer honors the tradition of warm-fermented lager yeast that defines the style
Westbound & Down Brewing and North Park Beer Company (CA)
Beer name: Spirit of the FU!
Beer style: New Zealand IPA
Beer story: Both breweries have won multiple awards in the NZ IPA category over the years, Westbound for Spirit of the West and North Park for NZ Fu!. After congratulating each other for award wins year after year, we decided to create Spirit of the Fu!, our mash up of our award-winning NZ IPAs.
Westbound & Down, River North Brewery, and Cannonball Creek
Beer name: Rocky Mountain Advantage
Beer style: West Coast IPA
Beer story: Brewed in celebration of all three Colorado breweries receiving Brewery of the Year awards at the 2025 Great American Beer Festival. We'll be donating a portion of net proceeds from the sales of Rocky Mountain Advantage to the Colorado Brewers Guild, a nonprofit trade association with the mission to promote, protect, and propel independent craft breweries in the State of Craft Beer through advocacy, community, education, and public awareness. Brewed with support from Yakima Chief Hops and BSG, Berkeley Yeast.
WestFax Brewing Company and Our Mutual Friend Brewing
Beer name: Le Matts Bleu
Beer style: Canadian Pilsner
Beer story: Le Matts Bleu stems from a long time friendship and collaboration between friends and breweries. Both breweries have stellar people named Matt (who have been friends for a bit), and the owners of both WestFax and OMF are from Upstate New York...hence the Canadian Lager theme
Windfall Brewing and Melvin Brewing (WY)
Beer name: Creamin' On The Plains
Beer style: Cream Ale
Beer story: Jeremy from Prairie Malt got us together as he was excited for Windfall and Melvin to work together. We decided on a cream ale because Root Shoot Malting recently came out with some malted blue corn that we both wanted to try.