The 2013 Collaboration Beers! :: Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week

One of the greatest things about Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week is the brewery collaboration brews. It gives all the local brewers a chance to get together and work in each other’s brew houses and see how the other side works, bringing ideas and ingredients together to create unique brews to be showcased throughout the region during craft beer week. The first year there were 3 brews brewed. The 2013 edition features 5 brews from 5 different breweries, 25 individual brewers from 15 local breweries. The loose guidelines set early on for these brews were to keep them under 8.5% ABV. With that the brewers were split up by draw out of a hat. The brainstorming began and we are not far from tasting the fruits of their labors. Here is a quick run down of the beers created.

Penn Brewery, “Fakin the Funk” Style: American Wild

Team Leader: Nick Rosich, Penn Brewery

Team: Justin Viale, Church Brew Works

Jake Lyons, Hofbrau Haus

Dave Cerminara, Penn Brewery

Asa Foster, The Brew Gentlemen

Full Pint Brewing, “None More Black IPA” Style: Belgian Black IPA

Team Leader: Jake Kristophel, Full Pint Brewing

Team: Sean Gentry, Helltown Brewery

Trip Gentry, Helltown Brewery

Andy Kwiatkowski, TRASH/TRUB

Dave Cerminara, Penn Brewery

East End Brewing, “Pennsyl-tucky Uncommon” Style: PA Swankey/Kentucky Common

Team Leader: Scott Smith, East End Brewing

Team: Ryan Bove, Aurochs Brewing Co.

Steve Sloan, Roundabout Brewery

Steve Crist, Penn Brewery

Rock Bottom Brewery, “Fear Of a Black Walnut” Style:Smoked black walnut oatmeal stout

Team leader: Brandon McCarthy, Rock Bottom Brewery

Team:Steve Ilnicki, Rock Bottom

Ryan Miller, Rock Bottom

Jeff Guidos, All Saints Brewing

Matt Gouwens, Hop Yard Brewery

Josh Gauger, North Country Brewery

Nick Taylor, North Country Brewery

Zachary Shumaker, Shubrew

Church Brew Works, “D’Pomme Rye Saison” Style: Rye Saison

Team leader: Matt Moninger, Church Brew Works

Team: Bill Larkin, Arsenal Cider House

Brendan Benson, East End Brewing

Chris Rafferty, Rivertowne

Matt Katase, Brew Gentlemen

The Beer collaboration is not a comepetition just a good mix of brewers being creative and getting to show off their skills for PCBW events. It will be fun to seek out these beers and try the fruits of the brewers labors. Check back soon for a peek at the labels and Where to Find Them once the beers hit the streets for a complete list of who will have them. Collaboration Beers will not be tapped until, at the earliest, Friday 4/19, the first day of Pittsburgh Craft Beer Week!