In a continued effort to connect the Pennsylvania craft beer community with local agriculture, breweries across the Commonwealth have teamed up to build off the success of the popular PA Pride collaboration beer. Named for the love and pride we all share for the Keystone state, the third installment in this series will be known as “PA Pride” Kölsch.

The beer will officially be released to the public at over 22 craft breweries across Pennsylvania on Friday, May 28th. See a full list of participating breweries below:

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Just in time for warm weather, Kölsch was an obvious stylistic choice for the team, while the collaboration format allows smaller breweries lacking specialized equipment to participate.

“The PA Pride Collaboration series is a way to showcase Pennsylvania agriculture and brewing industry while providing smaller breweries with additional packaged beer to support our “to-go” sales throughout the pandemic restrictions.” Nate Bacher, Recon Brewing who is one of the many PA breweries participating in the release.

Borrowing methods from both top-fermented ales and cold-fermented lagers, the Kölsch style of beer offers the best of both worlds. Light and highly quaffable, the Cologne, Germany native style is ideal for a balmy spring day and nuanced enough to stand on its own or pair with a variety of foods.

“This is a perfect beer for summer and one of the top choices when collaborators were polled following the success of the first two releases (Hazy Pale Ale & Pilsner). We hope the grain shines in this easy drinking beer style, and cans find their way into backyard BBQs, pool parties, and other outdoor gatherings as the weather heats up.” Mark Brault, Owner/Maltster, Deer Creek Malthouse.

The unique brew earns much of its character from Deer Creek’s own Colonial Pilsner malt made with locally grown 2-row Violetta barley. While the Pilsner expresses a sweet and clean profile loaded with hay and fresh dough, a dose of pale spelt–from PA’s own Suyundalla Farms and Small Valley Milling–contributes a hint of nuts and spice. Meanwhile, classic Pilsner Noble hops Saaz and Hallertau team up with Magnum to yield a Kölsch that is spicy and fruity with balanced bitterness.

Clocking in at just around 4.5% ABV, PA Pride Kölsch will be packaged and released in 16-ounce cans by 22 Pennsylvania breweries who have joined the collaboration. Labels feature the original PA Pride artwork showcasing the iconic PA keystone outline.

“PA Pride is important to us, because it shows community strength and collaboration throughout the Craft Brewing industry.  Especially after the past two years, it brings forth a sense of pride by keeping it fresh and local!” Allyson Malandra, Neshaminy Creek Brewing who is also participating in the release.

Along with the release of this beer, Deer Creek and Breweries in PA will co-host a virtual happy hour open to the public and will include many of the brewery collaborators on this project. Details on the event, including the date, will follow soon.