But for this collaboration, brewer BJ Pichman, and Dark Matter co-founder Jesse Diaz wanted to venture into some truly unexplored territory with coffee beers. BJ is going to brew a blonde ale as the base for a barrel-aged coffee, something Dark Matter has become known for. The one currently being toyed with is a coffee bean aged in a Manhattan cocktail barrel, full of boozy, spicy notes that should clash in an interesting way with the blonde ale — true to the intent of the Culture Clash category at Uppers & Downers.

If you don't already have a ticket, here they are. And stay tuned for more updates from the likes of John Laffler at Off Color (coffee Dinosmores, anyone?), Cory King of Perennial Artisan Ales in St. Louis, and many others.