'Best of both breweries': Aussie craft beer icons team up for a brand new brew

Byron Bay's Stone & Wood, brewers of the iconic Pacific Ale, are collaborating on a beer with the fast-growing Blue Mountains brewery, Mountain Culture.

"We've been big fans of Mountain Culture since they burst onto the scene," Stone & Wood Brand Manager Patrick Coulson said.

"DJ and the rest of the team know how to bring hops to the front and make these big juicy, vibrant hop-forward beers and who doesn't love hop forward beers?"

"It's been really fun working with the MC crew, they know how to make you feel welcomed and loved."

In recent years both breweries have found great success, with Stone & Wood's Pacific Ale and Mountain Culture's Status Quo each winning the GABS Hottest 100 poll.

The new release, Backpack Ale, is a 5 per cent alc/vol hazy pale and will mark the first time Stone & Wood has collaborated with another Australian brewery.

The beer is designed to represent the best of both breweries.

The team from Stone & Wood travelled to the Blue Mountains with a tonne of their signature Galaxy hops (the main hop used in Pacific Ale), while the beer has all the hallmarks of Mountain Culture, with a pillowy mouthfeel and hazy appearance.

"Stone & Wood are the trailblazers of Aussie craft beer and a real inspiration for us," Mountain Culture co-founder DJ McCready said.

"We really wanted this beer to be something that represents the best of both breweries, full of flavour but highly sessionable.

"The exact kind of beer you'd want to stick in your backpack on an adventure into the mountains or to the coast."

Compared to Stone & Wood's 16 years on the scene, Mountain Culture are the new kids on the craft beer block, opening just four-years-ago in Katoomba, but is one of Australia's fastest- growing beer brands.

Backpack Ale is available from mountainculture.com.au.