The Collaborative Spirit of Craft Brewing Lives On

There are well over 2,500 craft breweries in the United States, and the number grows by the week. Competition is hot in many cities and regions, especially in the Rocky Mountain region. But that doesn't mean brewers have lost their spirit of openness, camaraderie and sharing ideas. In an industry where it's not uncommon to hear of copyright or trademark lawsuits over beer names and label designs, collaboration is still alive and well. This is good news for brewers, and for consumers who get to discover the wonderful products created when artisans come together.

There's one primary example that those in the brewing industry point to as the standard for brewery collaboration. It involves Avery Brewing in Boulder and Russian River Brewing in California, who for years have both brewed a beer called Salvation. Ten years ago, Russian River approached Avery about the name, and neither had a problem with the other brewery's use of the name Salvation. Not only was this potentially slippery situation resolved amicably, but the brewers came together to create a new beer that blended both Salvation beers, calling it Collaboration Not Litigation Ale (pictured below). It's been released most years since it was created.

Despite this standard set by Avery and Russian River, many brewers feel it's important to trademark beer names and logos. After all, brewing is still a business and businesses need to protect their brands. But when should breweries get litigious against competitors, and at what point is it taken too far? These are tough questions to answer, but they definitely strike a nerve for many in the industry and for observers. A high profile case that drew plenty of attention in 2013 was when Magic Hat Brewing in Vermont filed a federal lawsuit against West Sixth Brewing in Kentucky for trademark infringement. Another situation involved Denver's Strange Brewing, who also faced a trademark dispute in 2012 and 2013 from a Massachusetts homebrewing store and aspiring brewery called Strange Brew Beer and Wine Making over the name "strange." The uproar that ensued on social media in both cases showed that breweries can sometimes go too far to protect their brands, at least in the eyes of the public. To many, overzealous litigious activity flies in the face of the spirit and culture on which craft brewing was founded.

Although the buzz generated is sometimes loud when breweries take action over possible trademark infringement, it's actually a lot more common for breweries to come together to share expertise or brew together. Take a look around the craft beer section at your local liquor store, and you'll find quite a few beers that bear the names of two different breweries. This March in Denver, brewing collaboration will be on full display at the Collaboration Fest, put on by the Colorado Brewers Guild and the website Imbibe. Dozens of beers, each brewed by two or more mostly Colorado breweries, will be available to taste. Such collaboration is a win for the breweries, who rely on each other for industry growth, and for all who get to enjoy the fruits of this brewing labor.