It’s east of the Cascades meets west on the brew deck! Last month, Yakima’s Bale Breaker Brewing Company traveled to Seattle’s Reuben’s Brews to create brewing magic. The result? CollaBEERation India Pale Lager (IPL), which makes its debut on Tuesday, March 22 in the Reuben’s Brews taproom at 5010 14th Ave NW in Seattle.
“I stopped by Bale Breaker’s taproom while I was in Yakima last year during hop harvest,” says Adam Robbings, Co-Founder and Head Brewer of Reuben’s Brews. “After chatting with two of Bale Breaker’s co-founders, Meghann Quinn and Kevin Smith, whie drinking their delicious beers, we decided we should brew a beer together. It’s really exciting to collaborate with their awesome team!”
When it came to deciding what to brew, they knew that whatever style they chose should showcase the hops that grow so plentifully in eastern Washington. After some discussion, they agreed to an IPL, which neither brewery had made before.
“We were pumped to have the chance to brew with Adam and his team at Reuben’s Brews, and especially to try a new style that we had never had a chance to brew before at Bale Breaker,” said Quinn. “Since we’re located on a hop farm, we love showcasing the hops that the Yakima Valley has to offer in our beer. Pairing our style with the house lager yeast at Reuben’s Brews is a CollaBEERation that we were excited to be a part of!”
An India Pale Lager (IPL) is similar to an India Pale Ale (IPA) except that IPLs use lager yeast which adds a smooth crisp body to the beer, and produces less esters which allow the hops to shine through brightly. IPAs use ale yeasts.
CollaBEERation pairs Reuben’s Brews’ house lager yeast strain with a light pilsner malt base and plenty of hops! The brew features Citra, Mosaic, and the experimental hop HBC344, which features berry notes that will work well with the Mosaic and lager character. It was dry hopped multiple times with Citra, Azacca and more Mosaic hops. In all, this beer contains more than 4 pounds of hops per barrel and exudes tropical fruit, citrus and pineapple notes.
The two breweries will be collaborating to release the beer as well. Representatives from Bale Breaker will travel to the Reuben’s taproom in Seattle for the March 22 release party, and the team from Reuben’s will travel to Yakima to return the favor at the Bale Breaker release on March 24. Colla-BEER-ation will be available on tap and in 22oz bottles at each release party. Bottles will also be available in limited distribution around the state.
About Bale Breaker Brewing Company
Bale Breaker Brewing Company is the newest craft brewery to open in the heart of our nation’s hop country, but while the brewery is new on the scene, the family behind the beer is not. The great-grandparents of owners Patrick Smith, Meghann Quinn, and Kevin Smith first planted hops in the Yakima Valley in 1932, the year before Prohibition ended. Now, 82 years later, their love of hops and passion for craft beer has led them to where they are today – in the midst of running a 30-barrel production brewery and taproom surrounded by their family’s hop fields, just down the road from where they were born and raised. Visit www.balebreaker.com or on Facebook and Twitter.
About Reuben’s Brews
Reuben’s Brews, makers of “Bloody good beer,” is a small, family-owned brewery located in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, WA. Since opening in 2012, Reuben’s has won Gold and Bronze medals at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival, over 30 World Beer Championships medals and was named Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year at the 2015 Washington Beer Awards. Its expanded taproom and production brewery opened in May 2015. For more information, visit www.reubensbrews.com or follow on Facebook and Twitter.
