We know that MadTree loves to collaborate with their friends in the craft beer community.  We’ve seen some really fun collaborative beers with Jackalope, and FatHeads hit packaging lately.  But if you’ve ever spent a couple pints at MadTree’s eclectic taproom drinking – you know that they don’t like to get too comfortable with their tap lineup – they like to push stylistic boundaries whenever they get the chance.

If you’ve been paying even closer attention to what the brewery has been doing lately, you’ll notice that they’ve also moved into a couple new places in regards to their packaging.  We used to see all of their releases in either 12oz standard printed cans or large format bottles.  We’re now seeing not just that, but shrink wrapped cans, labeled cans, 16ozers… all sorts of stuff.  They are even playing around with color and transparency with some of their labels that adds just a tad more of that little “something else” to it.

It comes all together in a really fun project that I’m just learning about, that I think you’re going to love.  This is a mixed six pack of two beers that are thematically linked to each other.  One brewery brews up one, and the other takes the reins on the second.  Put them together… boom.  Bonsai Project.

What’s The Bonsai Project?

I mentioned before that this was about collaborating with Shorts.  The Bonsai Project is what the breweries are calling this collaboration.

Bonsai… you know, the short little trees?  Please tell me that you got this little piece of naming brilliance much faster than I did – because my mind was blown when it was pointed out to me.

It’s so simple… yet so incredible.  I love it.

About This First Collaboration

Let’s dive into the specifics of this first (yes… they have some tentative plans to do at least another one of these) collaboration, shall we?  The idea is amazing, and it’s not just because of the naming that they came up with.

I mentioned that this was a mixed six pack with one beer from each brewery.  They aren’t just brewing up two beers though, and throwing them together.  They are linked stylistically and thematically.

What they came up with was a pair of IPAs that are inspired by the classic cocktail that everyone seems to love knocking back, The Gin and Tonic.  When the two beers are drank together they are designed to bring forth the botanicals that you get from a really great Gin and Tonic.

The beers are set to be released sometime around November.  You’ll want to pay attention to MadTree’s social media channels to get the quickest updates on when things like this are set to drop – but I’ll of course have it listed on my monthly Beer Release Roundup for you too!