Karl Strauss Brewing Company

Kombucha meets IPA in the Karl Strauss/Boochcraft collaboration

“There are drastic differences between kombucha production and craft beer,” explains Boochcraft’s Operation Brewing Manager Korey Severson, commenting on the recent collaboration between his brewery and Karl Strauss, which produced When Worlds Collide. “This collaboration was a wonderful way for us to blend the artistic value of each brewery and find a common point between two different worlds of fermented sciences.”

A 7% ABV IPA, When Worlds Collide is a smooth sipper that boasts a unique nose, thanks to the botanicals (ginger, hibiscus, and black tea) which were used in its production. Notes of citrus, with grapefruit at the forefront, remind you that you’re still drinking an IPA, but they are well-balanced by those botanicals. According to Paul Segura, Brewmaster at Karl Strauss, getting all the distinct flavors to work together was not an easy task. “We have some experience using grapefruit, ginger, and hibiscus in beers, but we have zero experience using black tea. We had no idea how much to use, nor where in the brewing process to add it. The Boochcraft team was super helpful and very generous with their knowledge. They were totally involved at every step – from the small test brews, to the all the tastings, to the brews at our larger production brewery.”

When Worlds Collide is part of Karl Strauss’ quarterly collaboration series, which has featured joint efforts with other locals such as Societe and Modern Times, as well as out-of-towners including Fort Point from the Bay Area and Rhinegeist from Cincinnati. Segura promises another out-of-state brewery for the fourth quarter offering, series but remains mum on exactly which it will be.

Worlds collide at Karl Strauss

Karl Strauss Brewing Company

As for the decision to brew When World’s Collide with Boochcraft, Segura implies that it was an easy one to make. “As fans of Boochcraft, we thought it would be fun and awesome to team up with them to create something unique, interesting, and flavorful. So, contact was made over a year ago to begin the creative process. We have been brewing collabs with lots of our beer-brewer friends for years, but this is our first collab with a kombucha brewery. It was fun! It was also super challenging to incorporate elements of their kombucha into a West Coast IPA. We learned a lot, and we also gained even more respect for the talented and friendly team at Boochcraft.”

Those looking for more traditional offerings from either Boochcraft or Karl Strauss have some new options to explore as well. Boochcraft recently released a Peach Iced Tea Kombucha as part of its Liquid Art Lab series of limited releases. The brew features peaches, guava, basil, and white tea and will soon be joined by the brewery’s summer seasonal flavor, Wild Berry.

Karl Strauss also just released its Tangible Fruited IPA, which is brewed with Chinook, Columbus, Crystal, and Cascade hops, along with a tangerine puree. This IPA, also coming in at 7% ABV, delivers on the citrus and pine notes that IPA purists might be seeking after experiencing the botanical wild ride of When Worlds Collide.