Mastermind breweries will once again unite to create eclectic concoctions when the Colorado Collaboration Fest returns next spring.

The Collaboration Fest, presented by On Tap Credit Union and the Colorado Brewers Guild, will bring nearly 200 different craft breweries to the Westin Westminster in April, continuing a nearly 10-year-long tradition for local beer lovers.

The nonprofit started the event in 2014, but skipped two years due to COVID.

Overall, the idea is bringing together “member breweries who partner with independent brewers from their own backyards, across the Centennial State, throughout the United States and sometimes from around the globe, to create one-of-a-kind beers exclusively for this fundraiser that supports the CBG’s mission to promote, protect and propel independent craft breweries in the State of Craft Beer through advocacy, community, education, and public awareness,” the organization said in a press release Monday.

And these one-of-a-kind collaborations are not just run-of-the-mill hops and barley. With the more than 140 beers from over 180 breweries last year, there was a smoked pulled pork stout and a ramen beer.

Each one of those 140 beers involves a collaboration between at least two different breweries — hence the name.

“The stories behind these collaborations are as memorable as the beers themselves,” CBG Communications Manager Carrie Wilson said in the release. “From grain to glass, beer lovers will be getting a taste of the friendship and innovation that makes our Colorado beer community so special.” 

And while the Great American Beer Festival brings over 4,000 beers to Denver every October, the Collaboration Festival carves its own name due to both intimacy and ingenuity.

“This is a festival where brewers can let their imaginations run wild,” Shawnee Adelson, executive director of the Colorado Brewers Guild, told The Denver Gazette in 2024. “Beer lovers can try some out-of-the-box styles, like a beet and mushroom beer, or more traditional styles. The uniqueness of the beers means that the majority of these beers are never available outside of the festival and their taprooms.”

Sure, April is a long way out, but those salivating over the thought of unique brews can snatch up tickets starting next week, with early bird pricing starting on Nov. 28.

People can purchase tickets at the Collaboration Fest’s ticketing page and use code BLACKFRIDAY to save on ticket prices, but only a limited number of Black Friday tickets are available, according to the release. Tickets start at $44.87 and will go up as the event nears.