Collaborations are increasingly popular in the craft beer industry as more and more breweries seek to woo consumers by combining talents. But collaborations are not strictly about beer- some step outside the box, marrying talents and creating items that would not normally be associated with malt beverages. Such is the case with Dogfish Head and its recent collaboration with Woolrich, an outdoor clothing manufacturer.
Dogfish Head and Woolrich have, in fact, collaborated before so this is really nothing too shocking. The collaboration effort from last year was a huge hit with fans and as a result, Dogfish Head and Woolrich are at it again, releasing limited edition clothing such as plaid flannel shirts emblazoned with the Dogfish Head logo for all to see. Dogfish Head founder Sam Calagione admits the partnership is a little out of the ordinary, but points out that the two companies do share common values.
“This collaboration is really a product of a shared passion between two American, family-owned companies,” says Calagione. “While we might work in very different industries, we both have an intense focus on quality craftsmanship and doing things by hand, all while celebrating Mother Nature in all her splendor.”
Clothing is only part of the collaboration package. Beer, as expected, is the other part and like last year, the special offering will be none other than Dogfish Head Pennsylvania Tuxedo. This pale ale beer, which is slated for nationwide distribution on October 24, 2016, is brewed using spruce tips from the forests located near the Woolrich factory. This beer proved extremely popular with fans last year and it sold out quickly. This time around, Dogfish Head and Woolrich plan to increase the size of the batch to satisfy demand. Woolrich president Nicolas Brayton says finding adequate spruce supplies to brew a larger amount of beer was a challenge, but it was one his team was certainly ready and anxious to meet.
“Speaking on behalf of the entire Woolrich team, we had a blast working on this project for another season with our friend Sam and his team at Dogfish Head,” said Brayton. “It was no small feat to more-than-double the amount of spruce needed for this latest batch. So we shut down the mill for a few days during harvest, rolled up our sleeves and went to work. We think everyone will be pleased with this year’s effort!”
Just how much spruce was harvested for this year’s Pennsylvania Tuxedo? In all, the Woolrich team plucked 1,500 pounds of spruce tips, then sent them to Dogfish Head to create this special brew. The final result is a beer with flavors such as grass, citrus, malt, dough, and resinous conifer notes. The beer contains 8.5 percent alcohol by volume.
Dogfish Head Pennsylvania Tuxedo beer will be distributed to all 31 states where Dogfish Head beer is presently delivered. The clothing can be purchased via either the Dogfish Head or Woolrich web site starting October 24. It’s a collaboration effort of a very different sort, but would you expect anything less from Dogfish Head? Display your off- centered side and purchase some Dogfish Head/Woolrich clothing and beer, available while supplies last.
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