Avery Collaboration Not Litigation Ale is a double salvation

I love this bar called the Surly Goat. I'm very lucky to have a watering hole with this many rotating taps on hand for my beereveryday year. The people who work here are lovely and knowledgeable and there's Foosball and Shuffleboard, both of which I'm sucking at tonight. Well, even Pele had his days off...

Tiff raved about this beer last week but unfortunately she is out stick today with the stomach flu so in her honor, it's being drank...drunk...drinked...whatever.


It turns out, this beer is a collaboration between Avery and Russian River. It sprung from the fact that each brewery had a beer named 'Salvation.' One year they got together and blended to the two together. A cool story that shows the true spirit of the craft beer world and their brewers.


It's a Belgian Strong Dark Ale that clocks in at 8.72%. I'm tasting your standard chocolate and fruits but what's really capturing my attention is its sweetness. It reminds me of the Stone Belgo Barleywine, a burst of sweetness like bubble gum or cotton candy. But unlike the Belgo which explodes in your mouth like a supernova of sweetness, the Collaboration is humblely sweet. TRANSFORMERS rating.

Avery Maharaja Imperial IPA bites like Jaws

I couldn't pronounce this until I heard the bartender say it, so it seems worthy for my beer tonight (my standards are pretty shot this late in the week).

10.3% alcohol! Thank you doctor for that perscription. The alcohol is masked well thanks to a BIG fruit and piny hop bite. I didn't enjoy my first sip but it grew on me. Stu, a fellow I met who's in town from Pasadena for a concert on Sunset, loves it and he's a big hop head. I'm liking this a lot, it's just a really intense beer. It's like the Arrogant Bastard of IPA's. THE ROCK rating.

We had a big group tonight come out, including the regulars above - Rhiannon, Matt and Tiffany. Here's the whole group!

We all hit up Baby Blues afterwords. Nothing great than Foosball, Beer and BBQ. Party on