Collaboration Fest is an annual festival in Denver, Colorado that challenges pairs of breweries to work together on creating a unique new beer. As water accounts for up to 95% of beer, Little Machine Beer and Joyride Brewing joined forces to develop a beer made with fresh snow.
The original idea came stemmed from the concept of peak freshness. As Mike Dunkly of Little Machine describes: "We had this opportunity to work with fresh hops in February, which is super fun, and we’re just kind of thinking 'what’s the freshest way we can source the water?'"
Sourcing freshly fallen snow proved to be no easy feat and involved the use of a sled and 60-gallon drums—fortunately, as with all beer beverages created for Collaboration Fest, the breweries only needed to make enough for the one-off event.
Snow-Based Beers
Two Colorado Breweries are Creating a Unique New Beer from Fresh Snow
Trend Themes
1. Collaboration Fest - Collaboration festivals that challenge breweries to create unique beer present an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the craft beer industry.
2. Fresh Snow Beer - Using fresh snow as a water source for brewing beer opens up potential for innovative brewing practices.
3. Peak Freshness Concept - The concept of peak freshness in beer production can lead to disruptive innovations in sourcing and brewing processes.
Industry Implications
1. Craft Beer - The craft beer industry can explore new brewing methods and ingredients, such as using fresh snow in the brewing process.
2. Collaborative Brewing - Collaborative brewing can bring together breweries to create unique beer experiences and drive innovation in the industry.
3. Beverage Events - Beer events like Collaboration Fest create opportunities for breweries to showcase new and innovative beer creations.