Constructed on the backs of mountain bikers, CamelBak and Oskar Blues have teamed up for a one-of-a-kind collab. Each corporations share related origin tales and have now come collectively to brew one beer.
However not simply any beer.
A hazy pale ale constructed for adventurers, Bak Nation is for many who love the outside. Those that wish to convey a beer with them on a motorbike trip on the path. Or on a hike up the mountain. Or on a trek to the seaside. Principally, wherever you possibly can think about.
Which is smart as a result of this beer celebrates the launch of CamelBak’s latest innovation: the ChillBak.
The primary ever backpack cooler with built-in hydration, the ChillBak holds as much as twenty-four 12oz cans (plus fifteen kilos of ice) that may keep chilly for as much as seventy-two hours…
…but additionally has a separate reservoir for as much as six liters of water.
Making it the proper all-in-one journey software.
Take the ChillBak climbing in Deschutes Nationwide Forest, tenting in Yosemite Nationwide Park, canoeing within the Boundary Waters, and even simply into your individual yard.
It’s a revolutionary new cooler from an organization who has been pioneering hands-free hydration for over thirty years.
And now, CamelBak is encouraging you to pack beer (together with water) on your subsequent journey.
Reminiscent of this unique limited-edition Oskar Blues collab.
Why Companion with Oskar Blues to Brew a Collaboration Beer?
In 1989, CamelBak founder and avid bicyclist Michael Eidson competed within the “Hotter ‘N Hell 100” bicycle race in Texas. Through the competitors he rigged up an IV bag full of water, jammed it in a tube sock, and linked it to a hose that he threw over his again to take with him on his trip. The MacGyvered hydration pack grew to become the primary rudimentary CamelBak. For the subsequent thirty-three years CamelBak grew to become the go-to supply for backpack innovation and hands-free hydration.
One simply has to have a look at the brand new ChillBak to see how CamelBak continues to be on the vanguard. With a backpack geared up to carry beer and that hallmark water pouch, brewing a particular beer to have fun made sense.
However the place to discover a accomplice? A pioneering firm like CamelBak needed to search out somebody equally revolutionary in beer.
Twenty years in the past, Oskar Blues Brewery Founder Dale Katechis (who’s first job in Boulder, CO, was making high-tech customized backpacks, apparently sufficient) bucked conference by releasing the unique craft beer in a can—Dale’s Pale Ale.
Why did he wish to put beer right into a can? As a result of Katechis, an avid bicycle fanatic himself, needed to take beer on bike rides.
Who knew that might lead craft beer into a brand new frontier? Canning this eponymous pale ale to take into the wild shortly set Oskar Blues aside as a boundary-pushing brewery.
“Each of our tales began on the backs of mountain bikers, so it made excellent sense to accomplice with trailblazers similar to Oskar Blues,” says Jessa Sargent, supervisor, social media & model partnerships at CamelBak. “Due to their heritage, shared imaginative and prescient, innovation, experience as a model, and deep roots within the outdoor…there may be a lot synergy.”
One may say this partnership was fated.
“These are two trailblazing manufacturers each born on the again of mountain bikers,” says Evan Butteris, inventive producer and venture supervisor at Oskar Blues. “CamelBak is de facto keyed in on weekend warriors, individuals who take their leisure significantly, and at Oskar Blues we take having enjoyable very significantly. If we’re going to do one thing, we do it huge, and a backpack filled with beer is a good way to try this.”
Celebrating the ChillBak with a New Collab
Appears becoming to kickoff the discharge of CamelBak’s first backpack cooler (that may maintain as much as 24 cans of your favourite beverage) by launching a limited-edition beer.
“We needed to make this enjoyable and interesting for the neighborhood,” says Sargent. “What are you going to be placing in your cooler? Beers, seltzer, water, proper? Not solely are you bringing a pack on the market to take pleasure in a weekend journey, however we wish to convey one thing alongside to be a part of the entire journey. What are you celebrating with after your mountain bike trip or epic hike or only a leisure day on the seaside?”
Hopefully, a beer like Bak Nation.
Particularly engineered to be the proper post-hike, post-bike-ride, post-any-adventure beer, Bak Nation hits all the fitting notes.
And actually, similar to the pairing of those two manufacturers makes a lot sense, the creation of the beer got here collectively fairly simply.
The Constructing Blocks of Bak Nation
Crafting Bak Nation began with a dialog with Juice Drapeau, head brewer at Oskar Blues Pilot Brewery in Lyons, CO.
“I like to speak to individuals about what imaginative and prescient they’ve for the beer,” says Drapeau. “What are you on the lookout for by way of alcohol, colour, taste profile, and time of yr?”
On this case, a summer season launch meant each groups needed one thing light-bodied, good for the hotter months, citrus and tropical ahead, and most significantly, geared in direction of individuals who wish to be lively outdoor.
With hazy pale ales on the rise, this appeared like the proper fashion.
Accordingly, Drapeau constructed out a recipe with an excellent mild malt invoice. Principally, simply 2-Row as the bottom malt and about two % of Crystal Malt 20 Lovibond to attain a pleasant golden orange hue and hold the beer thirst quenching.
However on the finish of the day, this beer comes again to the hops.
On the recent facet, Drapeau threw in Calypso and Mosaic as constructing blocks for that tropical spine.
However the dry hop is the place issues get actually fascinating.
“I’d been dying to do that dry hop mixture,” says Drapeau. “The dry hop is de facto what I’m enthusiastic about and what drives the flavour profile of this beer.”
Equal elements Mandarina Bavaria, a German hop, and Idaho 7 impart numerous citrus, candy fruit, and tropical hop notes. Plus Drapeau added Citra LUPOMAX and a hop referred to as Grungeist. “This hop could be very intriguing,” says Drapeau. “It has some good ardour fruit and tropical character, but additionally stone fruit and purple berry; it packs a punch.”
All collectively these hops from internationally add an entire different layer of complexity and depth to Bak Nation.
Fairly becoming {that a} beer made for adventures throughout incorporates hops from everywhere in the world.
And that it introduced two adventurous corporations collectively, actually.
Good Buddies Making Nice Beer
All instructed Bak Nation has been a venture within the works for about ten months.
Sargent first pitched the thought to Oskar Blues in October 2021. And since then it’s been pedal to the medal. From engaged on the beer itself to writing the story behind the beer to capturing this particular video with the Oskar Blues crew). The crew even joined Oskar Blues for the canning day in Colorado.
Sargent and Colin Belisle, affiliate model supervisor at CamelBak, together with Butteris and others from the Oskar Blues advertising crew had the chance to all get collectively to assist Drapeau can the primary run of Bak Nation at Oskar Blues Pilot Brewery in Lyons, CO.
“It was cool to be boots on the bottom with them and see and really feel the fervour they’ve for brewing,” says Sargent. “It’s a real labor of affection.”
Spending a lot time collectively has helped drive the connection between CamelBak and Oskar Blues fairly deep.
“This launch and collab is cool, but it surely’s even higher whenever you work with actually nice individuals,” says Sargent. “We’ve been working so lengthy on this entire partnership, but it surely has been so seamless; we’re associates canning and cheersing with beers and celebrating.”
Tasting By way of Bak Nation
The very first thing you’ll discover about Bak Nation is the unimaginable head retention, essential for instantly imparting the complicated aromas of this hazy pale ale.
“At Oskar Blues, we’re making an attempt to construct these cool, hazy, tremendous lacy, frothy-head-retention IPAs with out using wheat,” says Drapeau. “It offers a pale ale the notion that it has much more to carry onto regardless that it finishes crisp and clear on the finish. Lots goes into the mouthfeel of constructing these beers.”
It may be onerous to steadiness a pleasant malt sweetness with a smooth pillowy mouthfeel However that’s precisely what Bak Nation accomplishes.
“What I like about this beer is it has an enormous mouthfeel so far as perceived malt sweetness, but it surely disappears with out leaving any astringency or bitterness,” says Drapeau. “The aim is to be juicy, clean, silky, and really citrus and tropical pushed.”
On that entrance, Bak Nation bursts with a ton of lemon, tangerine, a little bit of mango and pineapple, and a few underlying melon or cantaloupe traits.
Above all, it is a beer constructed from the bottom up for individuals constructed for the outside.
Identical to CamelBak and Oskar Blues.
Why Bak Nation Is Good for the Open air
Simply take into consideration all of the wheres and whys you’ll use a ChillBak. “To enter the backcountry and the wilderness, you’ll be exerting your self, so that you’ll wish to have one thing crisp, refreshing, but flavorful,” says Butteris. “[Bak Country] is the precise beer I’d wish to have in the course of a motorbike trip or hike or on the prime of a peak.”
This mild, 5.8% ABV hazy pale ale is approachable, but strong and surprisingly flavorful for such a light-bodied beer.
General, Bak Nation is a beer of celebration.
Sure, the beer celebrates the launch of CamelBak’s new ChillBak.
However most significantly, this beer represents respecting the outside and the adventures but to return. In addition to associates coming collectively to, as Sargent mentioned, “Cheers and have fun with beers.”
The place Can I Discover Bak Nation?
Within the backcountry!
However significantly, CamelBak and Oskar Blues’ Bak Nation was launched solely on draft and in cans on the Oskar Blues taproom in Longmont, CO, on July sixteenth and at shall be making an look at Oskar Blues taproom in Brevard, NC, on July twenty third.
Cans of Bak Nation will solely be obtainable whereas provides lasts
