Siren Rainbow Project

Seven innovative pan-Atlantic collaboration brews are being enjoyed for the first time this week as the 2017 Rainbow Project gets its UK unveiling.

The project, led by Siren Craft Brew, partners seven UK and seven US brewers to produce seven beers inspired by each of the rainbow’s seven colours. The final recipes are under wraps until Leeds International Beer Festival opens its doors today (September 7).

With partner brewers and colours drawn at random in December of last year, The 2017 Rainbow
Project partnered Magic Rock with Vermont’s Casita Cervecería. The pair were asked to create a
beer inspired by the colour red.

Partizan were partnered with Colorado’s New Belgium (orange); Beavertown with Texas’ Jester
King (yellow); Hawkshead with California’s Modern Times (green); Siren with California’s Sante
Adairius (blue); Wild Beer Co with Missouri’s Side Project (indigo); and Burning Sky with Indiana’s 3
Floyds (violet).

2017 marks the fifth anniversary of The Rainbow Project, created by Siren Craft Brewing, whose Andy Nowlan said: “What makes the Rainbow Project unique is that it creates collaborations that would never otherwise
happen.

“Some of the most imaginative and exciting brewers from the UK and US pair up to exchange ideas and advice, recipe development and, in some cases, ingredients and equipment. The result is some of the most innovative beer in world brewing.”

The Rainbow Project brews can be enjoyed for the first time at Leeds between, September 7 and 10;
Hawkshead Beer Hall (September 8); The Beavertown Extravaganza (September 8 and 9); and Bristol Craft Beer Festival (September 15-17). Indy Man Beer Con (September 29-October 1) will also be serving the full spectrum of collaborations.

Some 2,000 cases will subsequently be made available at Honest Brew

The beers

Inspired by blue, Siren/Sante Adairius (California) have produced Santo del Frio, a 5.2% ABV dry-hopped American lager, fermented cold with cryogenically frozen hops. There’s blue corn tortillas in the mash and blue agave syrup in the boil. The beer is aged in Tequila barrels beforehand for an extra flourish.

Inspired by the colour red, Magic Rock/Casita Cervecería (Vermont) have produced Amanecer Mexicano, a 5.8% lime, hibiscus and chilli gose which enjoys the savoury, sweet, chocolate and umami flavours in Mexican mole sauces that come from a wide variety of dried chilli peppers, tamarind, and cinnamon.

Inspired by orange, Partizan/New Belgium (Colorado) have produced West Fork, a 5% saison which uses spruce tips and experimental hop 522. The spruce tips, which nod to phoenix-like regrowth, are from Pagosa Springs, which experienced terrible wild fires four years ago.

Inspired by yellow, Beavertown/Jester King (Texas) have produced Rex Apiary, a 4.7% bière de miel with honey, rosemary and Texas dried lemons.

Inspired by green, Hawkshead/Modern Times (California) have produced Mojito, a 6% kettle-soured, tart IPA, dry-hopped with aromatic Cascade and Motueka hops then aged post-fermentation on fresh mint, lime zest and oak rum cubes.

Inspired by indigo, Wild Beer Co./Side Project (Missouri) have produced Indigo, a 5% sour wheat beer infused with foraged Cornish seaweed and elderberries/blackberries from local hedgerows.

Inspired by violet, Burning Sky/3 Floyds (Indiana) have produced Burial Vault, an 8.4% white stout aged in a mix of Burgundy and Bourbon barrels for a deep oak and subtle violet flavour.