Hop the Vote 2015: The Birth of Senate Shout Out Stout
By Brian Hutchinson, Cannonball Creek Brewing Company
Co-Founder and Head Brewer
When the Colorado Brewers Guild initially approached us to participate in Hop the Vote this year, my partner Jason and I discussed it for about thirty seconds before we jumped on the opportunity. As a former member of the Board of Directors for the CBG, it is always a pleasure to participate in anything that helps promote the guild.
In late April, Jason and I headed down to for the first Hop the Vote 2015 organizational meeting. We entered the Lost Highway Brewing Company where we were to be assigned to collaborate with either the House or the Senate. Upon our arrival we were informed that we would be working with the Colorado Senate and meeting at the adjacent Cheeky Monk. A couple of friendly, yet slightly surly House reps immediately began playfully taunting us and informing us that we would not be victorious in this competition. We shall see.
After moving next door to the Cheeky Monk we were introduced to several members of the Colorado Senate. Over pints and appetizers we began to formulate our plan. Cannonball Creek came into the meeting prepared to brew almost any style of craft beer, and we were really hoping that the senators would come to the table with some ideas. The senators enthusiastically began to brain storm, and it quickly became evident that the group was leaning towards a rich, dark ale. We wanted something that would be unique and really stand out on the floor at the Great American Beer Festival. We decided that adding fresh locally roasted coffee and dark chocolate to an already bold stout would fit the bill perfectly.
The brew day was set for July 21st and we couldn’t have been more excited. Several members of the senate rolled into Cannonball Creek in the mid-morning eager to hit the brew deck. From adding hops to mashing out grain and weighing out the dark chocolate, the senators were not afraid to get their hands dirty. The brew was executed flawlessly and as the day began to wind down it was time to name the beer. The senators wanted to come up with a name that referenced the Great American Beer Festival tradition of “shouting out” when someone drops their tasting glass. After some deliberation it was decided that “Senate Shout Out Stout“ was a winning name for what is sure to be a winning beer.
The resulting beer features intense notes of fresh roasted coffee beans balanced by a pleasant bitterness from the dark chocolate. Early samples of the finished product indicate high hopes for Cannonball Creek and the senators, and a decidedly dark GABF for the House of Representatives and our friends at Big Choice Brewing Company.
