Mountain Culture team up with Sierra Nevada to produce a beer for summer

Calling all craft beer fans! Blue Mountains-born, Mountain Culture Beer Co. and Californian "Godfathers" of the craft beer, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. have released a major brew collab.

Mountain Culture is the first Australian brewery to be bestowed the honour of collaborating with Sierra Nevada.

"Ken Grossman founded the company in 1980, and he is widely credited as being single-handedly responsible for the launch of the craft beer movement," said Mountain Culture Co-founder, DJ McCready.

"We're both independently owned, family-run businesses. We are both really pushing to make craft beer better, but also to be accessible to new crowds.

"It's a huge honour to collaborate with them, and we feel that Aussies will love the pale ale we have created, and it really embodies the heart and soul of both breweries."

The collaboration came about when ambassador of Sierra Nevada and brother of the brand's founder, Steve Grossman, had the chance to taste Mountain Culture brews while attending the Great Australian Beer Spectapular (GABS) Festival in Australia earlier this year.

"Steve got clued in on how amazing the [Mountain Culture] beers are and what an incredible success story Mountain Culture has had in a short time," said Sierra Nevada Brewmaster, Scott Jennings.

"Steve came back to North Carolina, and he said, 'I was just in Australia, and there's this brewery there. They're incredibly good and really shaking things up over there.'

"We had to do a collaboration - we absolutely had to."

And from this the ultimate Summer Pale Ale was born. Mr Jennings described the beer as a "nice blend" of the two breweries styles.

"We wanted to create something special that captures the essence of our companies and delivers what our fans have come to expect from us," he said.

The recipe combines Cascade Hops (a Sierra Nevada signature made famous in their Pale Ale) with Citra, along with a mix of Mosaic, BRU-1, and Vic Secret for tropical, floral, and citrus notes.

For added depth of flavour, the malt blend has been amped up and features Pils, wheat, and oats for a full-bodied mouthfeel (think: Mountain Culture's Cult IPA).

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Mr Jennings said it is going to be absolutely delicious.

"We put a lot of thought into the recipe and put together what I think is going to turn out to be a little bit of the heart and soul of both of our breweries," he said. "I'm really looking forward to that first pint."

Mr McCready had a similar sentiment.

"It's not going to be the craziest, wackiest beer out there - we've designed it to be something that's really enjoyable and highly drinkable - exactly what you want to reach for on a hot summer's day," he said.

The new Mountain Culture x Sierra Nevada - Summer Pale Ale unfortunately sold out online in one hour, but don't fear as more is brewing. There is stock available in leading independent retailers in the meantime.