Boulevard Brewing Co. and Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. are collaborating to brew a beer exclusively for SAVOR^SM: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience. Drawing inspiration from the California Trail, which effectively starts in Kansas City, near Boulevard, and ends in Northern California, the brewers have named the exclusive beer “Terra Incognita,” a nod to the bold explorers who traveled the trail.

The beer itself will take a similar cross-country journey, albeit in a West-to-East direction. Sierra Nevada will start the process with their Estate-Grown pale malt, amber malt, wheat and unmalted wheat. They’ll hop the beer with Bravo and Styrian Goldings during the boil, and they’ll finish by dry-hopping with East Kent Goldings. Then, the beer will travel the California Trail in reverse to reach Boulevard, where it will be treated with Brettanomyces, aged in Missouri Oak barrels, then bottled in time for SAVOR.

Check out the complete photo gallery and the video documenting the final blending that took place at Boulevard in February.

Terra Incognita at SAVOR

Beer lovers hoping to try this collaboration beer will want to mark their calendars for June 8 and 9, as Terra Incognita will only be available at SAVOR in Washington, D.C. In keeping with tradition, guests will receive a bottle of the collaboration beer as an exit gift. The beer will also be served with a paired dish at the event, and a salon will be offered both nights featuring Ken Grossman, John McDonald, Steven Pauwels and Steve Dresler, discussing the beer and the collaboration process.

The SAVOR public ticket sale begins at 10 a.m. MDT, Thursday, April 5.

Food and Drink Enthusiasts Descend Upon D.C. for One of America’s National Treasures—Craft Beer

What:

Presented by the Brewers Association, SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience is the premier beer and food pairing event in the U.S. In its fifth year running, SAVOR provides guests the chance to sample craft beers from 74 small and independent craft brewers, representing eight geographic regions across the country. To complement the craft beers, attendees will enjoy a reception-style sampling of delicious sweet and savory appetizers from a menu designed by BA Culinary Consultant Chef Adam Dulye of The Monk’s Kettle, and a select group of chefs specializing in beer and food pairings.

Guests will also have the opportunity to interact with some of America’s most innovative craft brewers during educational salons and workshops.

When:

Friday, June 8 and Saturday, June 9, 2012
7:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Where:

National Building Museum
401 F Street NW
Washington, D.C. 20001

Why:

While overall beer industry sales have declined, the craft brewing community continues to see increased sales and growing market share, along with praise for its quality, small-batch beers. SAVOR is a delicious opportunity for consumers to interact with the personalities behind the brands while enjoying the epicurean art of craft beer and food pairing. The experience will delight any palate.

Read the complete release.

2012 SAVOR Breweries

Thank you to all of the breweries that expressed interest in the event and best of luck in the lottery.

Boulder, CO • June 6, 2011—Once again, craft brewers from across the U.S. made their pilgrimage to the nation’s capital to celebrate SAVOR Beer Week D.C., enjoy the benchmark of beer and food events and roll up their sleeves for a little old-fashioned politicking. The breadth of local events, SAVOR’s rapidly growing popularity and the level of involvement from the craft brewing community once again demonstrated the industry’s vitality and relevance.

Read the full release.

Be sure to hold on to your ticket in order to pick up a bottle of SAVOR Flowers as you exit the event. This exit gift is available exclusively to attendees upon leaving SAVOR–and it won’t be available anywhere else once the event is concluded.

What is SAVOR Flowers? Read on for details.

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This year’s SAVOR attendees will go home with the excitement of having sampled delicious craft beers paired with tasty food selections—and something equally special. They’ll each receive a bottle of SAVOR Flowers, a collaboration beer brewed by Jim Koch of Boston Beer Company and Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery.

SAVOR Flowers is an exclusive indulgence for SAVOR attendees; it will be on tap during the event, and distributed to guests as they leave, but it won’t be found anywhere else. The beer’s name comes from the unusual ingredients used during the collaborative brewing process. SAVOR Flowers was brewed using rose water in place of regular water, along with a tincture of hibiscus, lavender and jasmine flowers that was aged in Samuel Adams’ Barrel One (the whiskey barrel Sam Adams first used to make its barrel-aged Triple Bock in the early 1990s).

What’s more, each bottle will come with a reproduction of the personal letters that Koch and Calagione exchanged as they conceived the idea that eventually became SAVOR Flowers.

Boston Beer and Dogfish Head are among the earliest and most steadfast of SAVOR supporters, acting as Supporting Partners since the event’s inception. “We hope this marks the start of a new tradition where two or more SAVOR breweries will collaborate to bring some of their biggest fans—SAVOR attendees—unique collaboration beers to cherish after the event,” said event director Nancy Johnson.

Catch a glimpse of Koch and Calagione brewing SAVOR Flowers in this video.

SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience is all about quality, showcasing the art of craft beer and food pairings like never before. However, contrary to conventional wisdom, quality does not come at the expense of quantity, and for 2011, SAVOR is a huge event, as illustrated by some of the mind-boggling statistics:

Craft breweries: 72
Menu items prepared (not including cheese, oysters or sushi): 82,000 pieces
Craft beer at the event: Over 1,705 gallons
Ice required to cool the beer: 20,000 lbs
Attendance each night: 2,000 smiling faces
Artisan cheese for sampling: 250 lbs 
Sushi rolls: Nearly 2,000
Artisan chocolate truffles: 2,200
Oysters: 2,600
Fun had by all: Immeasurable

Photo: © Eddie Arrossi

In SAVOR the Pleasures of Craft Beer in D.C., Lucy explores the impact SAVOR has had on the D.C. area , as well as tips on D.C.’s American craft beer destinations. Many of these restaurants, bars and gastropubs will be hosting special events during the week; be sure to check the CraftBeer.com Event Calendar for the latest events in D.C. during SAVOR.

Also, be sure to “like” SAVOR on Facebook and follow the Brewers Association on Twitter for updates from the event, information on events happening in D.C. during SAVOR, and special information for attendees.

How to get to the National Building Museum and SAVOR

Whose beer is being served?

Search the comprehensive pairings menu

Don’t forget, SAVOR hours for both Friday and Saturday are 7:30-11:00 PM, with some Salons starting at 6:15 PM. Thanks for your support, and we’ll see you in D.C.