MINNEAPOLIS, MN, APRIL 3, 2018: Indeed Brewing announced today its newest Flock Together collaboration series release with Steel Toe Brewing out of St. Louis Park, Minnesota. The collaboration consists of two beers, a Wood-Aged Blonde Export on Nitro brewed at Indeed, and a Wood-Aged Rye Bock brewed at Steel Toe. The beers are meant to be imbibed together, as an iteration of a classic Black & Tan, with the order of the beers swapped to be a Tan & Black.
“I’ve always liked Steel Toe,” says Indeed Lead Brewer Dan Stavig, describing how the collaboration formed. “Michael Wagner (Steel Toe Brewer) and I struck on an idea that sounded unique to us: two different beers made at separate breweries, but designed to be blended together.” With Indeed’s ability to easily nitrogenate beer, the duo decided to create a variation on the Black & Tan, or Half & Half, traditionally made with a pale ale and a stout on nitro.
Though created at their respective breweries, both the collaboration beers utilize English base malts and were aged on the same species of honeycomb spirals from Black Swan Cooperage in Park Rapids. The Wood-Aged Blonde Export on Nitro will have notes of bread, honey, and oak; while the Wood-Aged Rye Bock is more malt-forward with hints of toast, chocolate, wood, and caramel.
Both beer recipes were carefully crafted, however there was one surprise in store for both breweries. When asked about switching the classic Black & Tan combo on its head, Stavig explained, “As for choosing to make the tan portion float instead of the black… for whimsy? If I’m being honest, it didn’t occur to us until the dark beer was already mashed in at Steel Toe.” Despite this hiccup, the collaboration between Indeed and Steel Toe still landed on the right foot.
Indeed and Steel Toe invite all to join them next week for two Flock Together collaboration release parties. Both beers will be found on tap at Bunny’s Bar & Grillin St. Louis Park on April 10th, and at Pizza Luce Roseville on April 12th. In addition to Steel Toe Brewing, Indeed’s Flock Together collaboration series has hatched brews with Hoops Brewing of Duluth, Dangerous Man Brewing of Minneapolis, and Schell’s Brewery of New Ulm. Stay tuned to Indeed’s social media @indeedbrewing for the latest news and releases.