Oh! Collaboration Fest! The finest Fest of all the Fests in town. Who doesn't like to see breweries working together in perfect harmony, singing, brewing and drinking like the blood brothers we are. One of our local favorites, Breckenridge Brewery was making frenemies with the East while we were enjoying our frigidly warm winter. Are we about to see a Tupac and Biggie showdown? Or will they work together to create something that Big Poppa and 2Pac himself would imbibe? We think the latter. If history has taught us anything, it's that beer can solve any and every feud. And we'll drink to that!

Who: Starr Hill Brewery and MadTree Brewing Company.

The Results: Two recipes to be proud of, two days of brewing with new friends and two incomparable and wonderful beers to share.

MADTREE + BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY = SAISON RIDGE

The goal was to create a beer that represented each state through its ingredients. Jimmy Walker, head brewer for Breckenridge Brewery's brewpub in Breckenridge teamed up with Jeff Hunt, head brewer of MadTree Brewing. Together they came up with a short list of ingredients that included Ohio spice bush berries, Colorado spruce tips, and Colorado honey.

“Carrying 10 pounds of super fragrant spice bush berries through airport security to bring a piece of Ohio to the beer was just the beginning of a great partnership with Jimmy and the Breck crew,” shared Jeff. “We had fun coming up with a beer style, brewing something that plays well with these unique ingredients yet is still refreshing for the spring.” Jimmy added, "Both spruce tips and the spice bush berry can be easily overdone with their very potent flavor profiles. We attempted to err on the side of subtlety and keep the beer true to style.” Saison Ridge is the outcome of their meticulous efforts - a dry, refreshing, spicy and drinkable saison with subtle and complex flavor nuances from the native ingredients.

STARR HILL BREWERY + BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY = SNOW YOUR OATS

Todd Usry, Brewmaster and Director of Brewing Operations for Breckenridge Brewery, co-created the second collaboration with Robbie O'Cain, Brewmaster of Starr Hill. “Starr Hill was an easy pick for this collaboration. Its founder, Mark Thompson, is an old friend from brewing school. I was born and raised in Virginia and love the Blue Ridge Mountains where Starr Hill is based. It doesn't hurt that Starr Hill is renowned for its stouts and other beers; I've always wanted to create something with them.” Robbie came to Colorado to brew a collaborative stout at Breckenridge Brewery's Denver brewery. He shipped ahead malt and barley used in Dark Starr, Little Red RooStarr, and other great Starr Hill stouts, and he carried with him locally sourced Virginia oats. To round out the 50 barrel brew, Breckenridge threw in 200 pounds of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory dark chocolate, the same chocolate brewed in its 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout.

Denver was barraged with snow the day they brewed, inspiring the name “Snow your Oats.” How appropriate that the resulting full-flavored, chocolate oatmeal stout is one that will soothe the soul and satisfy the palate during any given storm. “After a great experience brewing and sharing knowledge with the Breckenridge team, I can’t wait to show off this beer at Collaboration Fest," said Robbie, who is flying back to Colorado this weekend to help launch Snow Your Oats. "It will be a blast when Todd and Breckenridge make the trek east to Virginia later this year to brew a new collaboration with the Starr Hill team for our fans on the East Coast.”

Come drink the fine elixirs on March, 21st at Sports Authority Field @ Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado from 3pm-7pm.

Get yo tickets here: http://www.imbibe-events.com/event/2015-collaboration-fest/