It's a tale of two cities. It's a strange tale. It's a tale of two breweries. It's StrangeTail VI. StrangeTail is collaboration between Denver’s Strange Craft Brewing and our own Freetail Brewing here in San Antonio, now in its sixth year. It's collaboration not just between two brewers but between two friends.
Strange Craft’s Tim Myers and Freetail’s Jason Davis first met in 2010 during the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, Colorado. “His (Tim Myers) small, then nano-brewery lying in the shadow of Mile High Field, was in its first year of production and appeared on the front page of the Denver Post. Our small crew hiked down there to taste their wares and we’ve been friends ever since.”says Davis describing their first meeting.
Since then, Myers and Davis have had collaborations in both Denver and San Antonio each year. Although the IPA style has dominated their collaborations, the two brewers have also released a hoppy Saison brewed with Piloncillo and a couple of versions of Berliner-Weisse that have included hibiscus, cherry, and ancho chiles. This will be the first time the collaboration will be brewed at Freetail’s production facility on S. Presa St in San Antonio.
This year’s collaboration comes in the form of a hoppy lager, or Texas Lager as the guys refer to it. “We wanted to brew something reminiscent of both cities, yet was easy drinking for the upcoming summer” said Myers. Colorado grown Chinook hops were used in addition to lemondrop hops, Weyermann Pilsner, Vienna and Carafa malts. Expect a very hop forward lager due to late hop editions. The brew should come in around 5-6% ABV, perfect for both Colorado and Texas summers.
As with the last three years, StrangeTail will be entered in the Colorado Collaboration Festival, now in its fourth year and highlights brewery collaborations, giving brewers a way to “brew a unique beer with another brewery.” “The festival will feature 75 projects and 100 breweries,” said Alexandra Weissner of Alexa PR. This year’s festival will be held March 25th in Denver. The festival was created by Two Parts, a Denver based ticketing co, and the Colorado Brewers Guild.
StrangeTail VI will be available in the Alamo City at Freetail’s South Presa location, as well as the usual bars around San Antonio, with a few kegs making their way to Colorado for the festival. As to when it will be available? “When it's ready” said Davis. You're quite the comedian Mr. Davis.
Photo Credit: BeerPulse
