Gravity Brewlab has collaborated with Denmark's Evil Twin Brewing on a beer that's being distributed throughout Miami.
It's called Two Tickets, and there's an interesting story behind it.
According to Gravity Brewlab's Diego Ganoza, his friend Ryan noticed that Evil Twin's Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø wrote a post on Facebook looking for a pair of tickets to Radiohead's sold-out show in New York.
Ryan had such a pair of tickets and was willing to part with them, Ganoza says, adding that the idea at first was to try to trade the tickets for some rare Evil Twin beers. Then a light bulb went off.
"I told Ryan: 'Forget that. Why not ask him if he would do a collaboration brew with Gravity instead?'" Ganoza says.
They ran the idea past Jarnit-Bjergsø, and 12 months and lots of rescheduling later, according to Ganoza, the collaboration was finally happening. Knowing how unique and rare Evil Twin beers are, Ganoza thought this would be the chance of a lifetime.
"I wanted to brew something with him that was outside our mutual comfort zones," Ganoza says, adding that Evil Twin is known for its stouts, while Gravity is known for its sours and IPAs. "The flavor combination of those ingredients is fantastic and very Peruvian."
Evil Twin and Gravity settled on brewing a Belgian grand cru, which Ganoza describes as "kind of like a really strong, dark Trappist ale" but with fresh lucuma fruit and cold-brewed Kenyan coffee added.
Ganoza met with chef Diego Oka at La Mar to brainstorm flavor profiles. The addition of lucuma was inspired by Ganoza's Peruvian roots, and Oka suggested adding coffee. Yoni Martin at Grind Coffee Project provided the grounds for the collaboration.
According to Julia Herz, the craft beer program director for the Brewers Association, the beer industry thrives on collaboration over competition. "Craft brewers are embracing partnerships with their neighbors and counterparts and, in the process, creating unique, full-flavored craft beers that are in high demand," she said in a 2012 Brewers Association news release.
Boxelder Craft Beer Market confirmed to New Times that it will receive at least one keg of Two Tickets. Other beer bars in Miami should get kegs of it as well, according to Ganoza, who suggests checking out Kush in Wynwood, Union Beer Store in Little Havana, and Mendez Fuel on Coral Way.
Boxelder Craft Beer Market. 2817 NW Second Ave., Miami; 305-942-7769; bxldr.com. Monday 4 p.m. to midnight, Tuesday through Thursday 1 p.m. to midnight, Friday through Saturday 1 p.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday 1 to 10 p.m.
Kush. 2003 N. Miami Ave., Miami; 305-576-4500; kushwynwood.com. Monday through Tuesday noon to 11 p.m., Wednesday through Thursday noon to midnight, Friday through Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., Sunday noon to 11 p.m.
Mendez Fuel. 3201 Coral Way, Miami; 305-443-2976; facebook.com/MendezFuelHoldings. Daily 24 hours.
Union Beer Store. 1547 SW Eighth St., Miami; 786-313-3919; unionbeerstore.com. Monday 5 to 11 p.m., Tuesday through Wednesday 1 p.m. to midnight, Thursday 1 p.m. to 1 a.m., Friday 1 p.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday noon to 2 p.m., Sunday noon to 10 p.m.