We at Portland Monthly are suckers for a great beer collaboration. Whether it's a brewery teaming up with a local nonprofit to create a beer for a good cause or a hometown brand releasing a themed six-pack, we can’t get enough of the ingenuity that makes Oregon’s craft beverage industry so fun to watch (and drink). 

Beer and cider lovers are spoiled with the collaborations taking place between some big names in brewing and outdoor organizations. Here are three we're digging right now.

Hopworks Brewery // Northwest Trail Alliance

Portland’s own Hopworks Brewery has partnered with the Northwest Trail Alliance to create an IPA made for drinking after a long summer day of slashing brown pow at your favorite mountain biking spot.  

The Northwest Trail Alliance is a nonprofit that aims to expand access to outdoor recreation through mountain biking. The group raises money and coordinates volunteer stewardship projects to help maintain more than 250 miles of off-road cycling trails in Oregon and Washington, as well as providing educational programming government advocacy to increase opportunities for mountain bikers.

The result of Hopworks and NTA putting their heads together: Trail Time Summer IPA. This dank and fruity IPA is smooth and crushable with notes of pineapple and orange zest. Perfect for those moments spent reminiscing around the tailgate after a day of riding. 

You can find the beer on tap at Hopworks' Portland or Vancouver locations, where it’s also available for sale in pint-sized four packs. A portion of the proceeds from sales of this beer will benefit Northwest Trail Alliance in its mission to maintain and expand local mountain bike routes.

Portland Cider Co. // The Oregon Zoo

Portland Cider Co. and the Oregon Zoo Foundation have teamed up to help feed the zoo’s 1,500 resident animals.

A percentage of the sales of every six-pack of cider sold in Oregon and Washington will now be donated to the foundation which helps bring in healthy meals to the animals. And that is no small feat when you consider Juno, Lincoln, and Uni Sushi—the zoo’s sea otters—require fresh seafood six times each day.

Other animal meals include apples for Moshu the red panda; carrots for Jozi, the rhino; avocados for Pericles, the chimpanzee; and more than 150,000 pounds of hay for the herd of Asian elephants.

So next time you go to grab a cider pre-barbecue, think about the fact you could be helping provide the 250 heads of lettuce the Oregon Zoo needs each week to feed its tortoises, beavers, and other critters. 

10 Barrel Brewing // Poler 

This collaboration is less benevolent, yet still captures the spirit of encouraging folks to get outside.

A few months ago, 10 Barrel Brewing partnered with Poler—a Portland-based camping gear brand—to release Camp Vibes Golden Ale, a refreshing and bright beer with a clean hop profile and subtle notes of lemon on the finish. 

The brew is part of a series of products all branded with the 10 Barrel logo and in an orange colorway that will have Oregon State Beavers fans intrigued. Included in the release is Poler's signature sleeping-bag poncho—great for cozying-up in a camp chair under the stars or for changing out of a wet swimsuit after a day on the river.

The collection epitomizes 10 Barrel's mantra of enjoying beer in the outdoors. It also includes a stowaway camp chair that folds and rolls up into a lightweight bag you can fit inside any backpack, a camera bag that doubles as a miniature day cooler, and a sturdy, yet backpack-able two-person tent that will be hard to miss if you have one too many and forget where you set up camp.