It’s collaboration season at Drake’s

I hope Drake’s lead brewer’s resolutions list included “do some collaboration brews in 2013,” because if so she can already cross it off the list. Drake’s started the year off right by brewing a beer with Stone that will debut on January 26, followed by brew with 21st Amendment that will hit the pub in February.

There is no “i” in “team.” Or “beer.” Or “IPA.” Wait, damn.

Drake’s and Stone have Issues
Stone is no stranger to collaboration brews, but the frequency of their partnerships doesn’t make it any less awesome that they did one here in the East Bay. The occasion this time was the beer magazine Celebrator’s 25-year anniversary, so the tribute brew will be called Quarter Century of Issues. Har har.

Alex, Mitch, and Stone rep Dave Hopwood on the brewdeck. I *think* that’s just coffee in Dave’s travel mug…

A crew from Stone, including brewmaster Mitch Steele, visited Drake’s chilly San Leandro brewhouse on January 2 to create the beer with lead brewer Alexandra Nowell. It will be a hoppy (and dry-hopped) session ale at approximately 4.5%.

Milling grain. Note the old-skool Drake’s drawing.

Quarter Century of Issues will showcase El Dorado hops, which I got to fondle, er, I mean smell and appreciate right out of the walk-in fridge. The brewers present gleefully tossed around words like “spearmint” and “dank” and “can’t put my finger on it.” (That last one is good, actually. If it’s unique to a beer pro, it’s gonna be unique to your nose and tongue, too.) El Dorado hops are pretty new and not many breweries have used them yet.

Yummy

Your first chance to sample the beer will be on January 26 at The Brewing Network’s Winter Brews Festival in Concord. It will also be served, of course, at Celebrator’s 25th anniversary party at the close of SF Beer Week. This release is draft-only. See the Drake’s blog for more info and better pictures.

Strong livers, Strong Beer Month, strong arms
Drake’s is a small company, but its production brewery is large compared to that of your average brewpub. The Saturday after the Stone brew, a posse of Drake’s staff and I squeezed into 21st Amendment’s brewhouse to watch a triple IPA get born.

Hello down there, Alex and Shaun

21st Amendment co-owner/brewmaster Shaun O’Sullivan and Drake’s lead brewer Alexandra Nowell masterminded the beer, named Nelson, Jade, and Helga. It has a mix of New Zealand and American hops was inspired by a Drake’s cask from last July. (The Drake’s blog has full details you can geek out on here.) It’s going to be a hop bomb, but I helped stir the mash and grain out, so my puny arms and I can attest to a solid malt backbone. I’d also like to add that if you’re thinking of becoming a professional brewer someday, start working out your upper body now. Shoveling spent grain is not for wimps.

Drake’s Mike Pawlicki graining out like a champ, i.e. he could probably kick your ass.

This 11% monster will be on tap at 21st Amendment as part of the mind- and body-wrecking extravaganza they like to call Strong Beer Month. Walk, BART, bus, or cab your way to it starting February 1.

And one more for good measure
If that wasn’t enough, Sante Adairius Rustic Ales showed up at Drake’s sister brewpub Triple Rock to do a collaboration for SF Beer Week not too long ago. (I thought about casually wandering by Triple Rock for a beer that day but that felt stalker-ish even for me.) I’m pretty psyched about Sante Adairius so I’m also pretty psyched for this brew, dubbed Cellerman Saison. Triple Rock is having a meet the brewer with Sante Adairius on Tuesday, February 12 at 5:30pm and I imagine the beer will be released then if not sooner. See the Triple Rock blog for more details (scroll down).

Finally, it’s more of a reunion than a collaboration, but former Drake’s brewer Rodger Davis took a break from starting his new company Faction Brewing to lend a hand in the Drake’s brewhouse this week. He and Alex brewed up a hoppy beer with fir needles. TreePA? Keep an eye out for that one in February.

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