Earlier this year, one of the craft brewing industry’s founding breweries — Sierra Nevada — announced that it had invited every craft brewery in the United States to participate in a first-of-its-kind collaboration. The event, dubbed Beer Camp Across America, is a multi-weekend traveling beer festival that begins in the brewery’s hometown of Chico, Calif. and ends at their new East Coast brewery in Mills River, NC. Along the way the Beer Camp will make five other stops throughout the country.
Sierra Nevada founder, Ken Grossman, reflected on the festivals, “We’ve watched and learned from each other for decades, and together we’ve seen tastes change and craft’s momentum snowball. Beer Camp Across America is our way of reflecting on this—with thousands of brewers, fans and great beers. It should be pretty fun.”
But, Beer Camp is not just another beer festival; it is also a way for Sierra Nevada and other participating breweries to foster their craft and the development of more diversity in the industry. Proceeds from each stop will go to the state brewers guilds in the festival host state as well as to hop and barley research to foster the development of new types of hop varieties and barley crops to fuel the pursuit of new flavor experiences for the ever-expanding tastes of craft drinkers.
In all, over 700 breweries have signed-on for the historic multi-city tour with more than 1,400 beers representing every state in the country.
Beer Camp stops stretch from coast to coast with festivals in each of America’s many regions. At each stop guests will receive a commemorative tasting glass with unlimited tastings where possible. In addition organizers have insured there will be plenty to eat by bringing in local food trucks and entertainment will be provided by MarchFourth Marching Band. West Coast beer lovers will be the first to experience the traveling camp with the kickoff in Chico, Calif. on July 19. The entire schedule includes:
- Saturday, July 19: Northwest Edition at Sierra Nevada Hop Field in Chico, Calif., 12:00-5:00 p.m.
- Sunday, July 20: Southwest Edition at Embarcadero North in San Diego, Calif., 1:00-6:00 p.m.
- Friday, July 25: Rocky Mountain Edition at Civic Center Park in Denver, Colo., 5:00-10:00 p.m.
- Sunday, July 27: Midwest Edition at Navy Pier in Chicago, Ill., 12:00-5:00 p.m.
- Friday, August 1: New England Edition at Thompson’s Point in Portland, Maine, 5:00-10:00 p.m.
- Saturday, August 2: Mid-Atlantic Edition at Penn Treaty Park in Philadelphia, Pa., 1:00-5:00 p.m.
- Sunday, August 3: Southeast Edition in Mills River, N.C., 1:00-6:00 p.m.
In addition to, an in support of the Beer Camp tour, Sierra Nevada has collaborated with 12 breweries across the country to create a once in a lifetime 12-pack. The Beer Camp Across America Mixed 12-Pack consists of 10 bottles of beer and two cans from some of the country’s most coveted breweries. Each of the brewers chosen will travel to each of the Beer Camp stops to pour and discuss the collaboration brew they created with Sierra Nevada.
“A lot of creativity and hard work went into the Beer Camp Across America 12-pack, and we’re excited to finally share it with drinkers,” said Ken Grossman, founder of Sierra Nevada. “We’ll pour these beers at every festival stop with hundreds of other craft brewers who are pushing the boundaries of our industry. It’s a traveling party, and we’re going to have a great time.”
The brewers chosen and the beers they created are:
- Allagash Brewing Company, Portland, Maine — Myron’s Walk Belgian-Style Pale Ale
- Asheville Brewers Alliance, Asheville, N.C. — Tater Ridge Scottish Ale
- Ballast Point Brewing Company, San Diego, Calif. — Electric Ray India Pale Lager
- Bell’s Brewery, Inc., Kalamazoo, Mich. — Maillard’s Odyssey Imperial Dark Ale
- Cigar City Brewing, Tampa, Fla. — Yonder Bock Tropical Maibock (CAN)
- Firestone Walker Brewing Company, Paso Robles, Calif. — Torpedo Pilsner
- New Glarus Brewing Company, New Glarus, Wis. — There and Back English-Style Bitter
- Ninkasi Brewing Company, Eugene, Ore. — Double Latte Coffee Milk Stout
- Oskar Blues Brewery, Longmont, Colo./Brevard, N.C. — CANfusion Rye Bock (CAN)
- Russian River Brewing Company, Santa Rosa, Calif. — Yvan the Great Belgian-Style Blonde
- 3 Floyds Brewing Company, Munster, Ind. — Chico King Pale Ale
- Victory Brewing Company, Downingtown, Pa. — Alt Route Altbier
Tickets are now on sale at www.SierraNevada.com/BeerCamp and are limited to 5,000 per venue. Tickets cost $65 for general admission, which includes a tasting glass and unlimited tastings (in most locations, see the website for full details). A designated driver ticket is available for $30. Ticket prices are exclusive of taxes and fees, which will vary according to location.
Click HERE to sign up now!
