Stone Brewing looks to musicians for newest collaboration

Apart from “devastatingly bitter” beers and well-known arrogance, Stone Brewing Co. built its reputation on some fantastic collaboration beers with some of the country’s best brewers. The Escondido brewery’s next installment sees two musicians team with Brewmaster Mitch Steele for -- what else -- a big double IPA, and the beer is going on tour.

Journeyman metal guitarist Keri Kelli, who’s played with Skid Row, Night Ranger and Alice Cooper, and the String Cheese Incident keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth are the featured collaborators on the beer, which follows Stone’s recent trajectory of using new hop varieties and uncommon spices and herbs.

Collective Distortion is a 9.2% ABV imperial IPA brewed with lightly roasted oats for “a steady, unbreakable backbeat” (read: to enhance mouthfeel) and Nugget, Comet and Calypso hops for their distinct fruity punch. The IPA is then dry-hopped with Vic’s Secret -- a new Australian hop variety -- to further amp up the tropical flavors and spiced with coriander seeds and elderberries.

The beer will be released nationally on May 19 in 22-ounce bottles and on draft, but Stone’s fans can get an early taste of the beer as kegs head on a tour of craft beer hot spots. The tour begins Sunday at the newest San Diego Company Store location and reaches Los Angeles on April 20 when fans can head to the Pasadena Company Store from 1 to 6 p.m. to try a glass of Collective Distortion and take a growler to go.

Head to the Collective Distortion website to see the full list of tour dates, read more about the brew, and sign up for a mailing list that will get you a free download of an exclusive song from the String Cheese Incident.

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