Stone To Collaborate w/Haven Brewing (Black Rye IPA)

Stone brewer Steve Gonzales & Haven Brewing brewmaster Dave Larsen are collaborating on a Black Rye IPA to be brewed @ Haven gastropub & Brewery.  Details from LAWeekly:

That’s because early in the morning on Thursday, Sept. 20 — while many establishments were still setting up for their LABW kick-off events — Haven Brewing Brewmaster Dave Larsen and Stone Brewing’s Steve Gonzales were busy making a milestone collaboration beer at Haven Gastropub + Brewery in Old Town Pasadena.

Though Stone is famous for churning out collaboration beers with breweries as close as Orange County and as far away as Denmark and Japan, the yet-unnamed black rye IPA marks the first time Stone has ever collaborated with a Los Angeles brewery. And its release after several more weeks of dry hopping may just coincide with the late October opening of the craft beer giant’s first company store outside of San Diego County, which is going in just down the street from Haven.

Making this collaboration beer even more awesome is the fact that Stone sent not its Brewmaster Mitch Steele or CEO Greg Koch on brew day, but Gonzalez — the company’s Research, Small Batch and Barrel Manager. Gonzalez’ experience with experimental beers coupled with Larsen’s recent (Haven Gastropub + Brewery opened last December) transition from homebrewing to commercial brewing made the duo the perfect team to create a brew that represents the city’s burgeoning beer scene.
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