Modern brewmance
Ska brings Denver's Lone Tree Brewing to SWCO
Members of Team Ska and Team Lone Tree at last year's collaborative brewing effort.
Guess you could call it a “brew”mance. Ska Brewing has added another option to its Southwest Colorado distribution line-up. Lone Tree Brewing Co., based in the south Denver metro area, is now available on local liquor store shelves.
According to Ska Sales & Marketing Director Kristen Muraro, the mutual admiration has been, uh, brewing for some time, beginning when the craft breweries served together on the Colorado Brewers Guild Board of Directors. Then, they later bonded over their commonality of a flagship Mexican-style lager – both available in easily transportable cans.
“John Winter of Lone Tree and I always bonded over similar values, beer styles like Mexican-style lagers and the fun atmosphere of both of our breweries,” Muraro said. The collaboration was the idea of one of Ska’s sales reps, who regularly hung out at Lone Tree’s South Denver brewery.
“When sales rep Devin lived near – some say at – Lone Tree Brewing, he was one of Lone Tree’s regulars,” Muraro said.
The two breweries finally consummated the relationship in March 2020, when the Lone Tree team traveled to Durango to brew a collaboration beer at Ska. Unfortunately, before the Lone Tree team even made it home, the collaboration was put on ice due to the pandemic. However, a little thing like social distancing couldn’t keep these breweries apart.
“Fast forward to 2021 and we believe the collaboration was a successful failure,” Dennis Stack, Lone Tree Brewing Sales & Marketing Director, said. “The Southwest region of Colorado was the missing piece of our distribution footprint and the reputation Ska has built in the area made the decision a no-brainer. We are beyond excited to explore this new chapter of distribution.”
To celebrate the partnership, Ska will have a guest keg of Lone Tree’s Vanilla Caramel Amber on tap at its Bodo taproom while supplies last. The red-hued ale is enhanced with vanilla beans and caramel malt, with no added sugar.
If you miss out on this, not to worry. Six packs of Lone Tree IPA, Mexican Lager, Strawberry Kiwi Blonde Ale, Red Ale, Peach Pale, Double IPA and spring seasonal Pomegranate Wit, as well as Lone Tree’s mixed 12-packs are now available in Durango, Telluride, Ridgway and Ouray through Ska Distributing. Locally, they can be found at Skyridge Liquors, Macs Liquors, WJ Doyle, 6th Street Liquors and Wagon Wheel Liquors, with more to come.