Collaboration/Celebration/Competition

The first time I heard of the Collaborator, it was called a Sno-Plow Cream Stout. It was a winning home-brew recipe that was then produced and sold in a limited edition by Widmer Brothers Brewing here in Portland. It’s a project now that’s been going on since 1998, with a new beer from a home brewer released every year. It’s a very cool idea, and it gives some publicity to different styles of beers than the standard IPA, Pilsner or Porter.

While I have been happy to drink in the results of the Collaborator project, some other folks have taken the idea and run with it, and now it’s landed here in the world of specialty coffee with the Collabrewation.

 

Here’s an excerpt from a press release sent to us by Jason Dominy of Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters in Atlanta, Georgia telling us about the project:

Kaldi’s Coffee Roasting Company, a St. Louis specialty coffee roaster, and Batdorf & Bronson, a specialty roaster in Olympia, WA, and Atlanta, GA, are excited to announce a new blend of coffees from Guatemala San Pedro and Guatemala Finca El Valle.

Entitled œCollabrewation , this joint endeavor will feature two Guatemalan coffees roasted separately, shipped (roasted) between St. Louis and Atlanta, blended 50/50, then repackaged by both Kaldi’s and Batdorf & Bronson for purchase.

œThe idea of Collabrewation came from my love of the unity of craft beer brewers who, in taking on the giant commercial beer companies, band together releasing collaboration beers. As they do this, they give a unified charge against the giants, and don’t compete on price or gimmicks, but simply great beer.  says, Jason Dominy of Batdorf & Bronson.

Josh Ferguson, Kaldi’s Coffee co-owner, added, œWhen Jason with Batdorf & Bronson approached us with the idea, we thought it was a great opportunity to illustrate the strong community that exists between those involved with the Specialty Coffee Industry. 

œWhen we work together, we represent not just our companies, but Specialty Coffee, and our end goal to share the beauty that is Specialty Coffee, and let consumers choose what their favorite coffee is based on a greater understanding of quality coffee,  shared Jason Dominy, œHopefully this will be the first of many Collabrewation Blends. 

To give the Collabrewation a barista-centric kick-off, Kaldi’s and Batdorf will gather round the ol’ TV to watch the Cardinals play the Braves in a classic NL matchup. Whoops, no! I mean that they’re going to face up in an ATL vs STL brew battle tomorrow, Wednesday, Aug. 1 at 6pm CDT, and 7pm EDT, at the official launch party(s) held  simultaneously  in St. Louis and Atlanta, complete with samples, of the new Collabrewation. It will go on sale to the public one week later.

Great idea Kaldi’s & Batdorf! Really excited to see how it turns out!

About Ken 262 Articles
Kenneth R. Olson (he/him) is co-founder and publisher of Barista Magazine the worldwide trade magazine for the professional coffee community. He has written extensively about specialty coffee, traveled near and far for stories, activities, and fun, and been invited to present on topics important to coffee culture. He is also an avid fan of the Portland Trail Blazers, the Washington Huskies, and public libraries.

1 Comment

  1. Hello,

    I really like what you are doing. So interesting, keep up the great work. I’d love it if you stopped by my blog and checked it out. Thanks!
    Christina

Comments are closed.