SAINT JOHN – The craft brew industry is known for the ways in which individual brewers create different tastes and brand identities.

In celebration of this year’s Fredericton Craft Beer Festival, more than 20 of the province’s micro-brewers are craft brewers from across the province are creating a beer together, aptly named “Collaboration Pale Ale.”

Andrew “Esty” Estabrooks, partner and brewer at Foghorn Brewing Company, and Lloyd Chambers, co-founder of Fredericton’s Craft Beer Festival, came up with the idea when talking about the festival that will take place March 10 at the Fredericton Convention Centre.

“For an industry that’s grounded in creating amazing social situations, we sure don’t get together as a group,” said Estabrooks in a release. “[Chambers] and I were talking about the upcoming Fredericton Craft Beer Festival and the idea of doing a commemorative beer came up. I figured, why not put the offer out to everyone to participate. The response has been incredibly positive.”

Chambers says the other craft brewers in the province immediately jumped on board.

“It’s amazing the degree of interest we’ve seen since we started this project,” he said. “It’s truly a testament to the strength and growth of the New Brunswick Craft Beer industry, but also how excited everyone gets when Esty puts a call out to contribute to a special collaboration such as this.”

The special brew will be made with ingredients from New Brunswick hop farms, including Darling’s Island, Southan and Moose Mountain. It will be an American Pale Ale (5.5 per cent ABV). It will be available at select ANBL locations prior to the craft beer festival.

The participating breweries are: Foghorn Brewing Company, Hammond River Brewing, Long Bay Brewery, Bootstrap Brewing, First City Brewery, Loyalist City Brewing Co., Big Tide Brewing, Picaroons Traditional Ales, Trailway Brewing Co., Mamas Brewpub, Graystone Brewing, Maybee Brew Company, Grimross Brewing, Niche Brewing, Halfcut Brewing Co., Big Axe Brewery, Off Grid Ales, Think Brewing, Brasseurs du Petit-Sault, Pumphouse Brewery, Flying Boats Brewing, Acadie-Broue, Railcar Brewing Company, and Bogtrotter Craft Brewery.

The participating craft brewers are doing a group “cheers” at the Foghorn Brewing Company in Rothesay February 16 at 11 a.m.