Hi-Wire Brewing (Asheville, North Carolina) has officially announced that it will release the 2020 installment of its Collaboration 12-pack, a Limited Release mixed pack that includes beers brewed with Ninkasi Brewing Company (Eugene, Oregon), Cigar City Brewing (Tampa, Florida) and New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, Colorado), in mid-January.

The annually released Hi-Wire Brewing Collaboration 12-Pack (a.k.a. the Spray Paint Collaboration 12-Pack) never disappoints and is always highly sought-after, but this year’s has gone next level by featuring the following three offerings brewed with true legends in the craft beer industry (descriptions sourced directly from the brewery’s press release):

• Almost West IPA | Collaboration with Ninkasi Brewing Company – Let it be known that Ninkasi Brewing Company is one of the best IPA producers in the country, period. Together with the hop wizards themselves, Hi-Wire Brewing sought to blur the line between Northwest and Northeast IPAs by blending a higher bitterness and balanced malt character with the experience of a hazy IPA. Almost West IPA (6.8% ABV), dry-hopped with Citra, BRU-1, Amarillo, and Zappa supported by Imperial’s “Juice” Organic Yeast, was born from this blending of worlds. Spritely tangerine citrus peel, lemon-lime, tart passion fruit, peach flesh, and sweet cherry are just a few characteristics present in this kaleidoscope of hop goodness.
• Intercontinental Contemporary Pilsner | Collaboration with Cigar City Brewing – The famed Cigar City Brewing made the trip up to Asheville next, but the beer-centric journey did not stop there. A shared love of lagers and pilsners was the bottom line in their partnership with Hi-Wire and the resulting carbonated passport. Intercontinental Contemporary Pilsner (5% ABV) brings together hops from around the globe – South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S. – then melds them with North Carolina-grown heirloom corn and German malt. A subtly toasted cornbread character and creamy mouthfeel from the malt and Jimmy Red Corn tie together the aromas of tropical fruit, guava, and honeydew from whirlpool hop additions.
• Belgian Stout | Collaboration with New Belgium Brewing – If the name does not give it away, New Belgium Brewing was founded on traditional Belgian ales, and Hi-Wire Brewing teamed up with their brewers to pay homage to that classic style. Belgian Stout (7% ABV) is not a bold and roasty American-style stout simply brewed with Belgian yeast. The recipe was designed as a proper nod to the Belgian-style, and it all started with the grain bill. Briess’ Midnight Wheat and Epiphany Craft Malt’s Brewer’s Breakfast Malt lend a subtle grain body while Ruby Malt also from the North Carolina-based Epiphany provides notes of plum, fig, and dark fruit. Additions of orange to the base create a classy ale reminiscent of a chocolate orange while star anise adds a whiff of botanical liqueur and soft licorice. Imperial’s Napoleon Belgian Yeast’s high attenuation leaves this beer extremely dry allowing for a pleasant orange twang mixed with smoky cloves on the finish.

**The Collaboration 12-pack will include four 12 oz. cans of each of the beers listed above.**

The Collaboration 12-pack is hitting shelves now and will hang around only as long as supplies last.  You can expect to find this Limited Release mixed 12-pack of 12 oz. cans available at select craft beer-focused establishments located within Hi-Wire Brewing’s distribution footprint in Alabama, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio and Kentucky. Prost!