Surly & Firestone Walker Collaborate On 2026 Darkness Day Collaboration / Brewer’s Variant Jelly Donut

Surly Brewing Unveils 2026 Darkness Day Collaborations

Surly Brewing Company is turning up the intensity for Darkness Day 2026 with two highly anticipated new imperial stout collaborations that should immediately grab the attention of barrel-aged beer collectors, craft beer fans and lovers of big, bourbon-forward stouts. This morning, I have your first look at two of the newest 2026 Surly Darkness releases, including a collaboration with Firestone Walker Brewing Company and the decadent 2026 Darkness Day Brewer’s Variant Jelly Donut.

The first collaboration brings together two breweries with serious reputations for producing distinctive, high-impact craft beer. Surly Darkness 2026 Darkness Day Collaboration with Firestone Walker Brewing Company is a 12% ABV imperial stout aged in an extraordinary combination of bourbon barrels. According to the label, the beer was aged in Elijah Craig 19 & 20 Year Bourbon barrels, Evan Williams 5 Year Bourbon barrels and O’Shaughnessy Bourbon barrels. The result promises to be one of the most intriguing barrel-aged Darkness releases of 2026.

The second beer takes Surly Darkness in a dramatically different direction. 2026 Darkness Day Brewer’s Variant Jelly Donut is also a 12% ABV imperial stout, but this version was aged in Buffalo Trace Eagle Rare Bourbon barrels before receiving additions of raspberry, vanilla bean and date syrup. The combination suggests a rich dessert-inspired interpretation of the iconic Surly Darkness imperial stout, with the fruit, vanilla and dark sweetness designed to complement the beer’s massive malt and barrel-aged character.

Both beers will be packaged in 750ml bottles and carry the 12% ABV designation shown prominently on the labels. The packaging also features striking original artwork by Minnesota artist Adam Turman, continuing the distinctive visual tradition that has become closely associated with Surly Darkness.

These new collaborations arrive during a particularly busy year for Surly Darkness. Earlier this year, Surly revealed the packaging for its standard 2026 Darkness imperial stout, another 12% ABV release packaged in 750ml bottles. Surly has also announced that Darkness Day 2026 will take place Saturday, October 3, with a lineup that includes Lagwagon, Samiam, Sludgeworth and other performers.

For longtime Surly Darkness fans, the combination of rare bourbon barrels, dessert-inspired ingredients and a major brewery collaboration makes these two bottles particularly interesting. The Firestone Walker version should appeal to bourbon barrel and imperial stout purists, while Jelly Donut offers a sweeter, fruit-forward alternative.

Release information, availability and tasting notes have not yet been announced. Stay tuned to MyBeerBuzz.com for additional details as Surly Brewing continues to reveal more of the 2026 Darkness Day lineup, Darkness variants, and collaborations.

Related Surly Brewing news from mybeerbuzz.com:
Continue exploring MyBeerBuzz’s extensive Surly coverage with Surly Reveals 2026 Darkness Imperial Stout Packaging, Surly Brewing Reveals 2026 Barrel-Aged Darkness, Surly Announces 2026 Darkness Day Bands, and The Surly Brewing 2025 Bottle Project Returns for more barrel-aged beer, Darkness Day and Surly Brewing news.

Label Text:

2026 Darkness Day Collaboration — Firestone Walker

SURLY BREWING CO.
FIRESTONE WALKER BREWING COMPANY

Darkness
2026 Darkness Day Collaboration
Firestone Walker Brewing Co.

Imperial Stout aged in Elijah Craig 19 & 20 Year Bourbon Barrels, Evan Williams 5 Year Bourbon Barrels, and O’Shaughnessy Bourbon Barrels.

Original Art by Adam Turman

Brewed and Bottled by Surly Brewing Company
Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.

12% Alc./Vol.
1 Pint — 9.4 Fl. Oz. — 750 ML

2026 Darkness Day Brewer’s Variant — Jelly Donut

SURLY BREWING CO.

Darkness
2026 Darkness Day Brewer’s Variant

JELLY DONUT

Imperial Stout aged in Buffalo Trace Eagle Rare Bourbon Barrels with raspberry, vanilla bean, and date syrup added.

Original Art by Adam Turman

Brewed and Bottled by Surly Brewing Company
Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.

12% Alc./Vol.
1 Pint — 9.4 Fl. Oz. — 750 ML

The label also identifies the 2026 Darkness Day Jelly Donut as a Brewer’s Variant and credits Omar Ansari, Andrew Rothrock and Ben Smith, while the Firestone Walker collaboration credits Omar Ansari and Ben Smith.

About Surly Brewing Company:

Surly Brewing Company is one of the most recognizable and influential craft breweries in Minnesota, with its roots firmly established in Brooklyn Center and Minneapolis. Founded by Omar Ansari in 2006, Surly began brewing in a corner of his parents’ small abrasives factory in Brooklyn Center before growing into one of Minnesota’s best-known craft beer producers. The brewery was founded with a simple but ambitious goal: make the kind of beer that adventurous craft beer drinkers wanted to drink and create a gathering place where those beer lovers could come together.

Surly Brewing became especially well known for aggressive, hop-forward beers, imperial stouts, barrel-aged beers and distinctive seasonal releases. Its flagship beers and specialty releases helped establish Surly as a major force in the Minnesota craft beer scene, while its willingness to experiment has continued to drive new beer releases across multiple styles.

The brewery’s history is also closely connected to Minnesota craft beer culture and legislative change. After outgrowing its original Brooklyn Center location, Surly successfully pushed for changes to Minnesota’s beer laws that allowed the brewery to open its much larger Minneapolis destination brewery in December 2014. That Minneapolis location became a major gathering place featuring beer, food, events and the Surly Brewing experience.

Perhaps no beer better represents Surly’s reputation for extreme and collectible craft beer than Surly Darkness. The massive imperial stout has become one of the brewery’s signature releases and is closely associated with the annual Darkness Day celebration. Over the years, Surly has produced numerous Darkness variants, barrel-aged versions and collaborations, giving craft beer enthusiasts an ever-changing collection of high-gravity stouts to seek out and cellar.

Surly’s barrel-aging program has also become an important part of its identity. The brewery has produced specialty beers aged in bourbon and other spirit barrels, with releases such as Barrel-Aged Darkness demonstrating its commitment to long-aging, complex craft beer. MyBeerBuzz has previously covered Surly’s 2026 Barrel-Aged Darkness, which continues the brewery’s focus on high-impact barrel-aged imperial stout releases.

Today, Surly Brewing continues to produce an expansive portfolio that includes IPAs, lagers, imperial stouts, barrel-aged beers, non-alcoholic beer and specialty beverages. Recent releases include new Outlook Good non-alcoholic beers, demonstrating that the brewery continues to expand beyond its traditional lineup while maintaining the bold personality that has defined the Surly brand.

With the 2026 Darkness Day collaborations, Surly once again combines big imperial stout brewing, bourbon barrel aging, creative ingredients, collectible 750ml bottles and eye-catching artwork. For fans of Minnesota craft beer, Surly Darkness, barrel-aged imperial stouts and rare brewery collaborations, the 2026 Darkness Day season is shaping up to be another major event on the craft beer calendar.

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