What is the point of collaborations between breweries?

For some time now we’ve seen how the craft beer sector is buzzing with collaborations between brands, and it’s worth asking what it means when we read the term “collaboration” or “collab” on a label. As in everyday life, it means that two or more producers have come together to brew a batch of beer together.

Normally, this is a beer that has never been released before; a new recipe created and brewed jointly by different companies, which are also mentioned on the label. The result is an exclusive beer, a limited edition that is rarely brewed again.

So what do the breweries involved get out of it? While sometimes the reason is pure friendship, most of these co‑brandings are carefully planned and happen when two brands are pursuing a shared positioning. Beyond branding, collaborations act as an introduction to new markets. Entering a new market alone is risky, but doing so hand in hand with another local brewery is much easier.

That said, some collaborations are memorable because the breweries involved truly achieve something together that they couldn’t on their own. This is the case with Guinness and Timmermans and their Lambic & Stout. These classics have joined forces to bring together what each does best. Cases like this are a rara avis where collaboration adds value because, without it, the final result would be impossible.

Also worth mentioning are commemorative collaborations, whether for a brewery’s anniversary or any other milestone. For example, Cervecera Península and Cervesa La Pirata brewed a double IPA called Heavy Weight after receiving the award for best breweries at the latest edition of the Barcelona Beer Challenge.

Even the concept of collaboration brewing is spreading to multinational groups, whose brands collaborate with each other as part of the parent company’s strategy. What is clear is that collaborations are not a passing fad; we will see more and more of them, in all sorts of forms, always aiming to make the consumer feel special.