A true collab of vetted learnings, late-night hazy note taking and hear-say rumours, One Drop Head Brewer Nick and Bracket Head Brewer Mike chat what it's been like working together on our latest DIPA collab.
Q: What spurred the collab?
Nick:
Combining our DIPA powers to create something special. Seeing the success of your neighbourhood pals is always awesome. Bracket took out an AIBA Gold with their awesome DIPA - Dealers Choice. We too had the same fate after also just releasing our Faded DIPA. So we popped over to Bracket to celebrate and share the love. The idea to combine forces and create something together seemed like a natural progression.
Mike:
As far as breweries go, we're pretty good mates with the team at One Drop Brewing Co. constantly sharing beers and hitting each other up when we're in a pickle. So it was a no brainer when they suggested we collaborate on a DIPA off the back of each of our gold medal DIPAs.
Q: What’s it been like working together?
Nick:
As fellow South-Sydney neighbours we’re always admiring what each other are doing. Talking shop, sharing stories, and bouncing ideas off each other has become somewhat common place. It's all very creative and innovative which I think reflects in what Bracket and One Drop do. The opportunity to work together and create something from our little pocket in Sydney was epic.
Mike:
When it comes to problem solving Nick and I tend to approach things in different ways. So when we designed and brewed this DIPA we had all of the angles covered between us. I reckon we've made a pretty special beer.
Q: What were you keen to learn from each other?
Nick:
Seeing how other breweries you admire approach styles you make is always interesting. I'm a nerd in that sense and forever keen to see and understand the "whys", the process, interaction, and creative path other brewers take. I think Mike is also a bit of a nerd in that sense too and I was keen to explore a few things in the IPA world we'd been talking about for a while with him.
Mike:
I'm always keen to learn new tricks and techniques, One Drop’s recent introduction of Clean Fusion was definitely one of those. Plus I have a soft spot for centrifuges.
Q: how's that combined to create this beer?
Nick:
What we’ve created is a beer with an equal focus on yeast expression and hop character. This double IPA walks a tightrope of flavour, bitterness, and balance, with a cloud like cushiony body thanks to a bunch of unmalted grains I forced Mike to want to use.
Mike:
It has allowed us to use equipment and techniques at One Drop Brewing Co. that we don't have at Bracket to create a unique beer that I believe draws inspiration from both breweries house styles. Plus we finally got the team at One Drop onto the Idaho-7 bandwagon!
Q: Tell us more about that Clean Fusion experience...
Nick:
We employed the use of a hop that Mike uses both fondly and regularly at Bracket - Idaho 7™. I've not been a fan of it in the past so, in true fashion for both of us, we ran with it - too far. We took both T90 and CRYO pellets and ran the beer onto them using our Clean Fusion dry hop method - as you do. The result is something that changed forever the course of what my brewers and I will do when approaching dry hopped beer and this hop - you've got to have a taste to understand.
Mike:
It was epic! I'm like a kid in a candy store when it comes to high tech brewing equipment and One Drop Brewing Co.'s GEA 'fuge is no exception. It's something that we can't do at our brewery so the opportunity to taste a beer that's been processed with Clean Fusion that we helped make is incredible.
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