Brunch and beer haven’t always gone hand in hand. Normally, at the popular mealtime experience, most people opt for bubbly or a Bloody, but one local beer company is changing that idea up in a big way, and they had some help to do it.
Evil Genius Beer Company and Miller High Life recently announced they have teamed up to release a brand-new collaboration brew, Brunch So Hard Orange and Mango IPA. The new drink was inspired by the champagne of beers and is here to take its own spin on the popular libation by now being dubbed the “mimosa of beers.”
“Both Miller High Life and Evil Genius focus on nostalgia and good vibes,” said Evil Genius Co-Founder Trevor Hayward in a statement. “We had so much in common when we sat down and really discussed how this collaboration would work. Both teams just clicked, and we knew that we could create a beer that paid homage to both brands equally.”
Evil Genius is no stranger to coming up with unique concoctions, many Philadelphians head to the beer lab to try a rotating assortment of options and even an all-new seltzer assortment from EG that just debuted last year. Combining both the components from their own brand with Miller High Life’s, Brunch So Hard is the latest creation from Evil Genius’ creative team and will be available for a limited time in stores throughout Pennsylvania, Delaware and New Jersey starting on October 12th and also EG’s location in Fishtown. For those who like to get down to the nitty-gritty details: Brunch So Hard has 6.5% ABV, 45 IBUs, SRM of 8 and comes in 4pks of 16 oz cans, and the beer is also brewed with Warrior, Galena, Citra, Azacca and Hallertau hops.
According to the release, this unique collaboration started when Evil Genius Co-Founder Luke Bowen found himself at a Justin Timberlake concert in State College, PA, of all places. He said, “I randomly met some awesome people there from Molson Coors and Miller High Life. They then reached out to us and asked to work with them on a unique brew, taking elements of High Life and creating an IPA that pushed the boundaries of brewing. As a beer drinker, I am a huge fan of High Life, so it was an instant yes when they asked, and the entire collaboration process was really amazing. We got to look under the hood and see how a big company creates a brand and goes to market. We definitely learned a ton.”
On Miller High Life’s end, this new collaboration is to date their largest, having launched in three states. The goal from High Life is to support a well-respected and local craft brewing company with an affinity for High Life, which they previously did with Off Color Brewing and Terrapin Beer Co.
“Miller High Life is widely loved by the craft beer industry, which has given the brand the opportunity to collaborate with talented craft brewers in the past,” said Miller High Life Associate Brand Manager Stephanie Petropoulos in a statement. “As we thought of our next collaboration we wanted to partner with a brewery that not only made great beer, but was a fan of High Life themselves. After reaching out to our network it became clear that Evil Genius was the perfect partner to collaborate with given their ability to make amazing beers which has triggered their growth. The fact that they’re also huge High Life fans was icing on the cake.”
Out of 8,000 craft breweries, Evil Genius was selected—which in 2020 is not just a life saver, but a full life raft helping to keep this beloved Philly business ahead of the fallout from COVID-19.
Bowen concluded with, “We wanted to make a statement that Evil Genius is the leader in innovation. And we’re honored to collaborate with a brand that we’ve always looked up to.”
For more about Evil Genius Beer Company and their location in Fishtown, visit evilgeniusbeer.com. For more about Miller High Life, visit millerhighlife.com
