New Belgium, Odell, and Coppersmiths release Collaboration Kriek 5/17 & 5/18
Fort Collins, CO - This one was worth mentioning given the sheer presence that New Belgium has in the Northwest. We received this one last week and although we are catching up on email we couldn't pass this piece of envy over to those lucky sods in Fort Collins.
Dedicated to American Craft Beer Week, the brewers of New Belgium, Odell, and Coopersmith’s, brought their collective experience together and created a unique beer, Collaboration Kriek. Unlike other brewery collaborations where one brewery plays the host, this beer was brewed at all three brewery locations. For the trio its also their first time working together on a single beer.
“Collaboration” Kriek is a blend of Odell Saboteur (15%), New Belgium La Folie (45%) and Coopersmith’s Kriek (40%).
“The Saboteur’s earthy maltiness and subtle Brett character combined with the intense sour cherry from Coopersmith’s Kriek are complimented by a spicy finish from the La Folie,” said Coopersmith’s Head Brewer, Dwight Hall. “The blend became a beer of its own, yet you can still distinctly taste each beer.” –source, New
As we previously mentioned that despite this being another collaboration, this one is special as it was done to recognize American Craft Beer Week (not to be confused with Seattle Beer Week, which is also going on), which promotes craft beer awareness across the country.
“Craft brewers love to get together to swap ideas and taste each other’s creations,” said New Belgium Marketing Director, Greg Owsley. “American Craft Beer Week is a great opportunity to celebrate that and to go one step further by giving craft drinkers something new and exciting to try.”
Only three and a half barrels of Collaboration Kriek exist in the entire universe. The beer will begin pouring May 17th at Coopersmiths and Odell and May 18th at New Belgium Brewing. –source, New Belgium
Beer Geek Information
Odell SABOTEUR - Our brewer’s created an unpretentious, yet sophisticated brown ale. Then they plotted, and dosed this full-bodied ale with brettanomyces, the ultimate adversary of wineries. Embracing this vintner’s nemesis resulted in a complex and wonderfully drinkable beer. Intense earthy undertones, and notes of vanilla and pineapple come together with a sour silhouette. Aged in American oak barrels.
New Belgium’s LA FOLIE sour brown is our wood conditioned ale, resting in French Oak barrels between one and three years before being bottled. Our La Folie emulates the spontaneous fermentation beers of Flanders, Belgium with sour apple notes, a dry effervescence and earthy undertones.
Coopersmith’s Kriek is a Belgian style beer that is naturally fermented with wild yeast and cherries in oak barrels. The wild yeast contributes a very tart spicy character. The wood and cherries add depth and piquancy to the flavor and aroma. This unique beer took over two years to make! 7.4% ABV
Doug Odell's passion for crafting great beer started in his kitchen in Seattle. After the demand for his home-brew grew, Doug-along with his wife Wynne, searched for a good location to take Doug's passion commercial. They moved to Fort Collins to be closer to Doug's sister, Corkie, who joined forces with them in opening the brewery in 1989.
After brewing and kegging his beer, Doug would deliver it, pick up empties, and make sales calls out of his old mustard-colored Datsun pickup. Our original brewery was located in an old grain elevator built in 1915, and was the second microbrewery to open in the state of Colorado. [more] –source, Odell Brewing
1989. Belgium. Boy on bike. (Ok, make that a young man of 32).
As our aspiring young homebrewer rides his mountain bike with "fat tires" through European villages famous for beer, New Belgium Brewing Company was but a glimmer in his eye. Or basement. For Jeff Lebesch would return to Fort Collins with a handful of ingredients and an imagination full of recipes.
And then there was beer.
Jeff's first two basement-brewed creations? A brown dubbel with earthy undertones named Abbey and a remarkably well-balanced amber he named Fat Tire. To say the rest was history would be to overlook his wife's involvement. Kim Jordan was New Belgium's first bottler, sales rep, distributor, marketer and financial planner.
And now, she's our CEO. [more] –source, New Belgium Brewing
Cheers
