Burp Fest at Collaboration Fest 2026

Collaboration Fest was born in 2014 when the Colorado Brewers Guild wanted to create a festival that celebrated the camaraderie between the state's craft beer producers rather than just showcasing individual breweries. The concept was deceptively simple but revolutionary: instead of each brewery pouring their own beers, brewers would team up — sometimes with rivals, sometimes with friends from across the state — to create entirely new beers made exclusively for the festival. The inaugural event featured more than 20 beer collaborations, including contributions from brewers as far away as Sweden.

The idea resonated immediately. In an industry that can sometimes feel competitive, Collaboration Fest highlighted the cooperative spirit that has long defined Colorado's craft beer scene. Brewers embraced the creative freedom, producing everything from classic Pilsners and Munich Dunkels to wildly unconventional creations like smoked pulled pork stouts and Horchata-inspired cream ales. Each year, the beer list reads like a mad scientist's notebook — which is exactly the point.

Over the past decade, the festival has grown from a local curiosity into a nationally recognized event, with recent editions featuring over 180 participating breweries and 140+ unique beers. The 2026 edition at The Westin Westminster continues this trajectory, with 165+ breweries (including 20 out-of-state participants) and 120+ collaborative creations. For beer lovers who crave novelty and one-of-a-kind experiences, Collaboration Fest remains the pinnacle — a festival where every single pour is something that has never existed before and will never exist again.