A release celebrating two breweries, at different milestones, Reuben’s Brews releases their collaboration with Hair of the Dog, Barnacle English-style Barleywine.

Earlier this year, Seattle’s Reuben’s Brews, in the historic Ballard neighborhood, announced a victory lap of sorts as a series of releases leading up to their 10th anniversary. 

With the goal of collaborating with those who inspired or have supported the brewery throughout the decade, the brewery has collaborated with everything from Georgetown Brewing to his old homebrew club, and those in between. Crossing the metaphorical finish line in August, with two planned releases, one with their Reuben’s Crews mug club members and the other with staff, the brewery recently surprised everyone with their June release. 

Made in collaboration with Portland’s Hair of the Dog, Reuben’s Brews will release Barnacles, a barrel-aged English-style Barleywine. Fittingly, this collaboration with Hair of the Dog’s Alan Sprints, whose beers prominently feature dogs in various wardrobes, was part of the inspiration behind the label. Designed after Grace and Adam Robbings’ beloved French bulldog, any fan of Hair of the Dog will get the reference. 

But really, the release isn’t just another collaboration between two well known, respected breweries and brewers. It’s also a reunion between two breweries who, back in 2013, were at different periods in their careers. 

image of Hair of the Dog’s Alan Sprints/Northwest Beer Guide™

For Sprints, approaching his 20th year (in 2012) at Hair of the Dog, whose beers were still being traded like currency through brewery-focused message boards, had relocated his taproom and added a kitchen. Meanwhile, only a few months into their taproom opening, Robbings was gaining traction as a respected brewer. Some say it was because, like Sprints, Robbings challenged traditional style conventions by brewing rye beers during a period when people remained focused on india pale ales.

Reuben’s Brews founders, Adam & Grace Robbings, sourced from Reuben’s Brews

Reflecting on Hair of the Dog, Adam Robbings reflects on how Alan Sprints’ approach to beer styles not only inspired Robbings’ own early styles. But rarely does one get a chance to collaborate with their inspirations. For Adam, it happened after a chance response on a message board.

image of the first batch of BBIS (Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout) going into barrels, 2013, sourced from Reuben’s Brews

Back when I was a homebrewer, I used to seek out Blue Dot whenever bottles would land in the Seattle area. Similar to all Hair of the Dog beers, it really stretched the definition of what a beer could be. Everyone in my homebrew club really looked up to Hair of the Dog, and we considered it a must visit brewery in Portland.

So a few months after we opened Reuben’s Brews back in 2012, when I posted on a Brewers Association forum asking whether anyone had spare bourbon barrels available, I had to pinch myself when Hair of the Dog founder Alan Sprints responded offering a couple of his. I took a day off work (I still had a day job back then) and drove down to Portland with a friend to pick them up. As Alan got them ready, he answered my technical questions and helped me immensely on making that first barrel-aged beer a success. And all of this was etched in stone for eternity—or plastic at least—as the barrels rolled around in the back of my car on the journey back to Seattle and cut up the doors!

The rest of the story as they say was a beer that got the locals (and probably a few beer traders) interested enough to form a queue nearly around the block, to try the first barrel-aged imperial stout Reuben’s Brews had released in bottles. To this day, Robbings reflects on the day and the impact that beer has had on their barrel-aging program.

In fact, one simply needs to follow them on social media, visit the brewery taproom, or their local retail store to see the newest barrel-aged release from the brewery. And yes, they still release BBIS (aka Bourbon Barrel-aged Imperial Stout) annually, including blended variants. For Sprints, however, this collaboration is bittersweet. 

Now in nearly 30th year of producing beers at 61 SE Yamhill Street just minutes from downtown Portland, Alan Sprints will retire this Summer. Although a firm date has not been set, those who have supported him nearly three decades later will no doubt feel an uncertain sadness if they didn’t already hear this news. 

Till then you’re asked to stop by Reuben’s Brews this Saturday to celebrate the convergence of two brewers, two breweries, celebrating milestones in their careers. And while you’re at it, plan a trip soon to Hair of the Dog, to celebrate the man and brewery, which helped Reuben’s Brews get to their 10th year of making beers.