Beer Me

Dogfish Head and Samuel Adams Brewing Up the Mother of All Collaborative Beers

Jim Koch and Sam Calagione
Jim Koch and Sam Calagione Photo: Courtesy of Samuel Adams

Get ready, beer geeks: Jim Koch, founder of Boston’s Samuel Adams, and Sam Calagione, founder of Delaware’s Dogfish Head, have combined forces to brew what will surely be a highly coveted limited-edition beer. There is, of course, the beer’s pedigree. Then there’s the beer itself, which is being called Savor Flowers: Before being barrel-aged, the beer is made with rosewater, lavender, hibiscus, jasmine, rosebuds, and a mysterious hop varietal known only as #369. Finally, there’s the beer’s almost complete lack of availability: The duo brewed the beer in honor of Savor, the Brewers Association’s annual eat-and-drink-athon in the nation’s capital, and a rep from Samuel Adams tells us it’s the only place where people can get the beer.

As for the botanical blend we mentioned, it’s the result of Calagione’s incessant drive to boldly go where no brewer has gone before. You see, throughout the ages brewers have tinkered with beer’s key components — barley, yeast, and hops — to develop new and flavorfully compelling styles. But rarely have any dabbled with the water that’s used. Hence the rosewater. And the flowers added to the brew are meant to enhance the rosewater’s natural botanical qualities. The #369 hops are said to highlight those floral notes.

It could be very, um, perfume-y, but Calagione and Koch are clearly two guys who know what they’re doing, so we have hope that it’ll be better than it sounds. And who knows? Maybe if it’s good enough, it’ll see some distribution outside of the Savor event!

Dogfish Head and Samuel Adams Brewing Up the Mother of All Collaborative Beers