Rebellious Collab

The town of Bristol has a concert series from June 21 to July 2. Most town officials decided not to allow a local beer garden at these events. As you know, Bristol is home to three breweries: Pivotal Brewing, Six Pack Brewing, and Vigilant Brewing. My guess is Bristol officials prefer locals to take a cooler full of mixed beverages. Unfortunately, the only thing that would drag me to an event like this is good draft beer. You know you agree. Live local music, soaking up the last rays of the sun, and sipping on a local craft beer looking over the Bristol Harbor is how summer should be spent.

The three breweries I mentioned got together to speak out on this. As the Beastie Boys lyrically protested, “You gotta fight! For your right! To party!” But instead of fighting, they silently crafted a collaboration. This collaboration is a Session IPA. All three breweries used MA Cascade local hops from Four Star Farms and 2-Row Valley malt from Valley Malt. Each brewery made a unique blend by adding different hop additions. It is a sweet-craft-beer-sipping-way of saying “Fuck you” to a town of closed-minded individuals with lots to learn about supporting local businesses. I contacted Mark Papi, the owner and brewer of Six Pack Brewing, to ask how he felt about this trio collaboration. Papi stated, “I like it. Kind of our homage to the town.”

I can’t tell you my favorite of the three collabs. They are all delicious. I helped brew one version, and all I can say is that although they are all different, they are all brewed with the labor of love. I’ll let you decide
what your favorite is. Let me take you on a tasting tour of all three.

PIVOTAL BREWING: Banned at the Concert Series

This 4.3% ABV Session pours a light, hazy orange. It has spotty lacing with a half-finger width head retention. Additionally, it has slight citrus notes on the nose and a pine flavor, which dominates the back-end sip. The bittering pine and bitter hop bite is slight and lingering on the tongue, with a subtlety that will make you order another. Brian Dwyer is the incredible brewer of Pivotal. Dwyer added Mosaic hops to his version.

VIGILANT BREWING: Banned Band from the Concert Series 5% ABV 30 IBU

This collab version has a hazy orange pour with finger-width head retention and thin waterfall lacing. The aroma in this Session is citrus and stone fruit. It has a slight peppery pine that follows through to the front-end palate. Cascade and El Dorado hops were used in the boil and whirlpool. El Dorado and Galaxy hops were used in the dry hop and are responsible for the tropical fruit overtaken by a resinous, piney bite on the back-end sip. This ends with a layered stone fruit flavor with grapefruit rind undertones. Head Brewer John Otero described the session perfectly. “It has all the tasting notes and complexity I want in a New England IPA minus the higher ABV. Because of this, it is perfect and crushable, allowing me to enjoy a few.”

SIX PACK BREWING BANNED: The Concert Series Papi said, “We added Citra and Cascade for the dry hop.” This pours a hazy yellow color, with thinned-rimmed head retention and light spotty lacing. It has a scent of slight citrus on the nose that follows through to the front-end palate. It is clean and crushable. Mike Goget, brewer of Vigilant Brewing, described it as “a beer I would take to drink while I am out on my boat. It is refreshing and has a 4.5% ABV. That would allow me to enjoy a couple in the sun.”

Can you feel the love between local brewers respecting each version? I can, and I love it! Whatever version speaks to you, remember Billy Idol, who sang, “With a rebel yell, more, more, more.”

Now go and grab a 4-pack of each and celebrate responsibly by supporting local craft!