Brewers of Colorado unite to mark American Craft Beer Week
Monday through Sunday has officially been dedicated to celebrating accomplishments and achievements of America's craft brewers thanks to a resolution by U.S. Rep. Betsy Markey of Fort Collins.
"American craft breweries are major contributors to our local economies and communities," said Markey in a prepared statement.
"They create jobs and are often heavily involved in local philanthropies and community events. Craft brewers also regularly win top honors in international beer competitions for quality and taste. Colorado is home to an enormous number of craft breweries, and I'm proud of the work they do, and of course, the beer that they brew."
Fort Collins, best known for New Belgium Brewing Co., has a growing community of craft brewers with more breweries in the pipeline.
In honor of American Craft Beer Week, Odell Brewing Co., CooperSmith's Pub and Brewing and New Belgium Brewing Co. will release Collaboration Kriek, a Kriek, or cherry, beer brewed at all three facilities.
It is the first time the three Fort Collins brewers have collaborated on a single beer. Collaboration Kriek is a blend of Odell "Saboteur," New Belgium "La Folie" and CooperSmith's "Kriek."
"Craft brewers love to get together to swap ideas and taste each other's creations," said Greg Owsley, New Belgium marketing director, in a prepared statement. "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 3½ barrels of Collaboration Kriek have been brewed. The beer will begin pouring today at CooperSmith's, 5 Old Town Square, and Tuesday at Odell, 800 E. Lincoln Ave., and New Belgium, 500 Linden St.
Amanda Johnson, spokeswoman for Odell, said that as the three oldest breweries in town, they have had a longstanding relationship and collaborated in the past.
However, this is the first time all three brewers have collaborated on one beer.
The three breweries each brewed their respective beers and then mixed them together to make the final product, Johnson said.
Odell has a weeklong celebration of Craft Beer Week, culminating with the release of its Woodcut No. 4, Johnson said.
Craft brewers, typically defined as those producing less than 2 million barrels of beer per week, use traditional processes to create innovative beers. With more than 1,500 craft breweries in business across the United States, craft brewers employ almost 100,000 full- and part-time workers and generate more than $3 billion in wages and benefits.
The resolution "encourages beer lovers of the United States to celebrate American Craft Beer Week through events at microbreweries, brewpubs and beer stores across the United States to appreciate the accomplishments of craft brewers."
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