(Fort Collins, CO) – Back in February, New Belgium quietly announced that it has at least four collaborations going in 2012 (not including the ongoing projects with Elysian Brewing):

Coming this year are delicious beers with Lost Abbey of California, Brewery Vivant of Michigan (that’s right Michigan, we’re coming for you), another as yet unconfirmed (news coming soon) musical collaboration, and one more with the Alpine Beer Company out of San Diego.

Brett Beer with Lost Abbey has received a fair amount of publicity already. And BeerPulse reported earlier this afternoon on the G. Love musical collaboration beer.

As for the Alpine collaboration, much like New Belgium’s past collaboration with Allagash, the brewers are taking turns travelling to the other brewery to brew a unique batch of the beer. New Belgium’s blogger writes…

“[…] the beer brewed at Alpine is going to be a wonderful, very dry beer, spiced with pink peppercorns. The pink peppercorns bring a strange sweet/sour rather than overly peppery flavor, they are subtle and very interesting. Three hops were used in the beer: Motueka, Columbus and according to Peter “a third hop, a forgotten hop, no seriously, I forget what the third hop was.” The beer is dry hopped and will carry a some pleasant lemon/lime and tropical fruit tones. Then there is the brettanomyces, added late in the fermentation and then again for bottle conditioning.”

Alpine’s Pat McIlhenny told BeerPulse this afternoon that it will be an unceremonious release when it does take place due to events that have transpired in recent months. It wouldn’t be surprising to see Alpine go the Allagash route and just put the bottles out in the shop one day. McIlhenny did not confirm how it will go down one way or the other.

For those that miss out on Alpine’s version (available only in its own market), New Belgium’s version to be brewed this summer will also be bottled and likely available across a wider distribution footprint (in New Belgium’s market).

New Belgium is adding Michigan to its distribution area this fall. With little info available on the Brewery Vivant beer at the moment, one could speculate that the collaboration may be a project that would coincide with New Belgium’s entry in Michigan later in the year. Stay tuned.