CollaBeeration Fest is about as unique a beer festival as they come. It’s a festival tailor made for beer geeks, one brewed by beer geeks. If that sounds confusing, let me clear it up a bit – members of the Buffalo Beer Geeks Facebook group have teamed up with over 40 Western New York breweries, cideries and meaderies to create one-off, many small batch creations you’ll only find at this event.

CollaBeeration 3.0 will take place March 25 (1-5pm) at the Powerhouse (140 Lee St, Buffalo). There are limited general admission tickets still available, which include unlimited pours of all available collabs and a festival commemorative glass. Designated driver tickets are also available for $10.

“CollaBEERation was created to bring together local beer enthusiasts and local breweries to create one off beers, ciders and meads that you’ll never be able to taste anywhere besides the event,” Joe Yager from the Buffalo Beer Geeks said. “You will get unlimited 4oz. pours from over 40 Buffalo and Rochester breweries. We will also have many beer and non-beer related vendors for shopping and multiple food options. The event is at The Powerhouse in Buffalo, a beautiful spot with plenty of parking and space inside.”

Participants this year include Big Ditch, Brazen Brewing, Brewery Ardennes, BriarBrothers Brewing,

Community Beer Works, Fifth Frame, Frequentem, Illumination Meadery, New York Beer Project, Nine Maidens, Noble Shepherd, Pod City Beer Labs, Rising Storm, Spotted Octopus Brewing, Strangebird, Thin Man, Wagner Valley and more. There will also be food and craft beer vendors on hand.

Attendees are also asked to vote on their top 3 collaborations, with the winning collaborators receiving the coveted “Buffalo Beer Geek Championship Belt.”

Erik Coleman, proprietor of Beer By Coleman Beer Concierge, who is presenting the event, says CollaBEERation is an event by the brewing community that’s for the community.

“CollaBEERation is a unique festival because you have a chance come and taste some unique, one-off specialty beers that you can’t get anywhere else and aren’t out of tap yet, brewed exclusive for this event,” he said. “You also get a chance to meet the actual people who are brewing the beer. The people behind the taps are the brewers, the owners and the people who can tell the story of the brewing company, the meadery, the cidery, as well as the product that they are pouring for you.”

Beer list (subject to change):

  • Big Ditch – StraightEdge Turtle (NA Pasty Brew with Caramel, Chocolate and Pecan)
  • Brazen Brewing – Beaches Be Crazy (Imperial milk stout with cacao nibs, vanilla beans & dark rum spirals)
  • Brewery Ardennes – I’m Kinda’ of a Fig Deal (Belgian amber farmhouse ale with fig juice, cardamom and grains of paradise)
  • BriarBrothers Brewing – Always Next Year… (Barleywine brewed with a Munich Malt base and aged in Black Button Distilling Bourbon Barrels)
  • Brickyard Brewing – Paczki Full of Sunshine (Imperial white stout inspired by the famous Polish doughnut, Paczki Full of Sunshine is conditioned on cocoa nibs, vanilla beans, and fresh strawberry purée)
  • Buffalo Brewing – Breakfast of Goddesses (Smoked Porter with Maple featuring Chinook hops, Smoked Two Row Barley from Sugar Creek Malt, the premier smoked maltster in American and local maple syrup produced in Wales, NY)
  • Butera’s Brew House – French Teekelar (A smooth and relaxing Belgian ale highlighted by a yeast-driven flavor, combined with fruit notes and a floral aroma. This saison was brewed in CollaBEERation with Crooked Lamp Post of Eden, NY. After a hard day’s work, wrap it up with a French Teekelar)
  • Clarksburg Cider – The Grapefruit Technique (Jalapeno grapefruit cider)
  • Community Beer Works – High Tee (Arnold Palmer inspired ale)
  • Eli Fish Brewing – Seth Lamar Presents: A Mimosa Table Beer (Biere de table aged in chardonnay barrels on oranges, pineapple and Brettanomyces)
  • Ellicottville Brewing – MaplEVL (Maple Irish Red)
  • Fifth Frame – Blizzy Watermelon Coconut & Lime (Watermelon, lime, coconut, salt & sugar sour with a tajin rim option)
  • Flying Bison – Maple Bockbuster (Maple Bock aged in Black Button Whiskey barrel)
  • Frequentem Brewing – Name: Not From Concentrate (Toasted Coconut, Almond, Pineapple, Mango) (Kettle soured Imperial IPA conditioned on house toasted coconut, house roasted almonds with Pineapple & Mango)
  • Hamburg Brewing – Dark Side of the Void (Heavy handed with Oats & Lactose, this Black Oat Cream IPA has a creamy mouthfeel and is accentuated with a DDH of Citra, Mosaic & Amarillo hops)
  • Heroes Brewing – Halftime Snack Stout (Closely resembles a peanut butter, marshmallow, Loganberry jelly sandwich in a glass)
  • Illumination Meadery – Candied Apple (Mead with Apple Cider, Cinnamon, and Applicious Sugar)
  • K2 Brothers – Salted Caramel Frappé Milkshake IPA (Salted caramel Frappuccino flavored Milkshake IPA)
  • Lafayette Brewing – Big Brunch Energy Fruited Lager (Lager with grilled peaches that have been pureed)
  • Lilly Belle Meads – Comet (Loganberry lemonade inspired mead)
  • New York Beer Project – Who Lives In A Pineapple Under the Si? (Spicy grapefruit margarita gose)
  • Nine Maidens – Cherry Vogue (Tart cherry old fashioned sour conditioned with French oak)

  • Noble Shepherd – Pistachio Pudding Sour (Kettle sour conditioned on pineapple, tangerine, orange zest, toasted coconut, pistachios, vanilla beans and rainbow marshmallows)
  • Old First Ward Brewing – Zenful Pils (Buddhas Hand Pilsner)
  • One-Eyed Cat Brewing – IPAnnie Bourbon Barrel Conditioned IPA (West Coast IPA is conditioned in a bourbon barrel that once housed Barleywine)
  • OSB Ciderworks – Applegato Jeans (Applegato inspired cider)
  • Pod City Beer Labs – (Drinking With) A Stranger in the Alps Festbier (Spice cabinet herbs, light toasted white bread, and subtle lemongrass. Flavor: Earl Grey Tea and herbs (similar to the nose), whole grain toast, and lemongrass with a red currant)
  • Pressure Drop Brewing – Liquid Flerider IPA (Mojito Coconut IPA)
  • Prosper Brewing – Who Wears Schwartz Jorts Schwarzbier (Imperial Raspberry Schwarzbier)
  • Queen City Meadery – Ninkasi Beach Goddess (Peach Mead)
  • Resurgence Brewing – If You Ain’t First You’re Last IPA (IPA brewed with a ton of flaked grains for a smooth & easy drinking body. Loaded with Cashmere, Nectaron and Mosaic Cryo hops for a hop bouquet of melon, mango and dank berries)
  • Rising Storm Brewing – Time For Some Lager (A crisp North American lager conditioned on 20 pounds of baklava. Notes of the honey, flaky phyllo crust and walnuts are all present in this unique brew)
  • Sager Beer Works – The Gladiator Imperial Pilsner (Imperial Italian Pilsner utilizing new-wave German hops)
  • Southern Tier Brewing – Rhuberry Spring Fling Kolsch (Kolsch with strawberry and rhubarb)
  • Spotted Octopus Brewing – Cheaper Than Therapy IPL (This hop forward lager is brewed and dry hopped with 4 aromatic hops: Citra, Centennial, Cascade and Cashmere, which create a fragrant and easy drinking beer. This brew balances fruity, citrusy, and tropical aromas with a light malt body and hint of spiciness)
  • Steel Leaf Brewing – Are You Suggesting Lemons Migrate Gose (Salted Lemon Gose made with Pink Himalayan Sea Salt, Coriander & Lemon)
  • Steelbound Brewing – Morning Cup of Toffee Brown Ale (English Style Brown Ale brewed with Heath Toffee)
  • Strangebird – Threebird! Wild Ale (Three beer blend Barrel-aged Wild Ale)
  • Thin Man – You Had Me At Aloha IPA (Tiki Inspired Hazy IPA with Pineapple, Coconut, and Vanilla)
  • Twin Petrels – Hard Seltzer (Whiskey barrel-aged cold brew seltzer with whipped cream topping)
  • Wagner Valley – Wild Bloom Sour IPA (Sour IPA with fresh sage, pineapple, and mango along with new experimental PNW hops. Pineapple dominates with supporting flavors of lemon/lime, mango jam and a touch of earthy complexity)
  • West Shore Brewing – Mojito Kolsch  (Kolsch with notes of Mint, Lime & Rum)
  • Woodcock Brothers – Czerry of My Rye Czech Lager (Czech pale lager brewed with Vienna, victory and rye malts. Aged on oak and cherry)

“I personally am looking forward to every single collab,” Yager adds. “I will do my best to try them all! All of them are unique in their own right, with as much variety as you can ask for. For example, we have a tiki-inspired IPA with coconut, vanilla and pineapple from Thin Man, a non-alcoholic adjunct stout from Big Ditch, a pistachio pudding sour from Noble Shepherd, a loganberry lemonade mead from Lilly Belle, a loganberry jelly stout from Heroes, a jalapeño grapefruit cider form Clarksburg Cider, a paczki white stout inspired by the polish donut from Brickyard, and last year’s winner, Eli Fish, bringing a 2.8% table beer aged in Chardonnay barrels with oranges and pineapple. These are just a small example of what to expect. So we hope to see you on the 25th, you won’t be disappointed!”

For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/collabeeration. You can purchase tickets here.

Brian Campbell is co-founder and Brand Manager of the Buffalo Beer League, and writes the weekly Buffalo Beer Buzz column. If you have beer news that should be included in the Beer Buzz, Brian can be reached at brian@buffalobeerleague.com, on Twitter (@buffbeerleague), Instagram (@buffalobeerleague), and Facebook (@thebuffalobeerleague).