Twenty-five years ago marked a seminal time for the budding craft brewing industry in the United States. Deschutes Brewery is working with four other craft breweries founded in 1988 (North Coast Brewing Co., Rogue Brewery, Goose Island Beer Co. and Great Lakes Brewing Co.) to create a selection of commemorative beers to celebrate their shared 25th anniversary.
Each of the breweries participating in the project will brew its own version of the recipe they collaboratively come with. The respective beers will have a common heritage and ingredients with the brewers working together to brew the beer that will ultimately end up in your glass.
Deschutes Brewery will partner with the following breweries for the limited Class of ’88 series beers:
North Coast Brewing Company (Ft. Bragg, California) & Rogue Ales (Newport, Oregon)
Beer Style: Barley Wine
Planned Release Date: March 2013
In the same year these breweries were born, renowned beer connoisseur Fred Eckhardt published The Essentials of Beer Style which included a barley wine style guideline which will provide the basis for this collaboration. All three versions of the barley wines that will result from this unique collaboration will be packaged in 22-ounce and 750 ml bottles, plus draft.
Great Lakes Brewing Company (Cleveland, Ohio)
Beer Style: Smoked Imperial Porter
Planned Release Date: May 2013
Building on a history of great porters –
Great Lakes Brewing Company’s Edmund Fitzgerald and Deschutes Brewery’s Black Butte Porter – this Smoked Imperial Porter promises to be exceptional. Both beer versions will be available for a limited time in 22-ounce bottles and draft.
Goose Island Beer Company (Chicago, Illinois)
Beer Style: Belgian-Style Strong Golden Ale
Planned Release Date: Q4 2013
Brewers and owners are still working out the details on this beer, which they plan to brew with Riesling juice and Pinot Noir grapes. It will be aged in barrels that previously held Muscat wine in them for ten years. Again, each brewery will produce its own version of the brew in bottles and draft.
Gary Fish, owner and founder of Deschutes Brewery said, “I’m very excited about all the Class of ’88 offerings. I have known personally most all of the principals involved with these breweries for a long time and each them has made substantial and substantive contributions to the world of craft beer in their 25 year history. Although these companies have taken different paths, all have distinguished themselves through the beers they produce and the way they have taken care of their communities and their brands.”
Founded in 1988 as a brew pub in downtown Bend, Deschutes Brewery is known for such brands as Black Butte Porter, its flagship brew and the nation’s number one selling craft porter, and the popular Mirror Pond Pale Ale. In addition to its original Bend pub, the brewery opened a second pub in Portland’s Pearl District in 2008. The company’s main brewing facility is located in Bend’s Old Mill District and produces approximately 250,000 barrels of beer annually for distribution in 19 states and two provinces.
