Although only in its infancy, our Convergence project is the banner under which we collaborate with other breweries, artists, musicians, writers, and creators of all kinds.

With a three-way beer, coffee and kombucha collab brew as our last Convergence release, we were keen to switch things up out and work with a different kind of creator for our next project. We heard that the cool kids are still making beers with bands, and it's something we enjoyed doing in the past (having previously brewed with Bleed From Within) so we set out to find an like-minded talent to partner up with.

Enter Cold Years, an Aberdeen-based rock 'n' roll outfit, tipped by Kerrang! Magazine as one of 2019's hottest acts. Frontman Ross Gordon is a friend and former colleague of Rob, our Creative Director, so introductions were straightforward enough - but finding a theme to design the beer around was a little harder.

Cold Years' new single, 62, is a polemic against the current political climate, and those responsible for it. For writers and musicians, pouring your emotions into a song is totally natural (and kind of the point...). At Drygate, we care most about creating good beer and a welcoming environment in which to enjoy it, so regardless of our opinions, we needed a more positive starting point for the beer.

So, while the tone of the single is one of outrage, the beer takes a slightly different approach. We are celebrating Scotland's links with the global community, and highlighting some of our favourite brewing ingredients and techniques from around the world.

We are so excited about this beer. It’s the first small batch beer we’ve ever packed in cans. Beautifully balanced, it combines the easy refreshment of a witbier, the complex depth of Belgian pales and saisons, and the big citrus and stonefruit aromas of an IPA. It features Citra and Dr Rudi hops, naked oats and torrified wheat, and coriander and orange peel. We love it, the band love it, and we hope other people will love it too. Untappd will probably hate it.

Pouring a hazy gold, it kicks up a fluffy, pillowy white head as it cascades around your glass. No iceman pours here, thanks. The aroma is a euphony of hop and yeast derived delights; orange peel, lemon zest, banana, clove, nutmeg, apricot, coriander... Floral notes of geranium and gorse harmonise with hints of lemongrass and pine. Moving on to the flavour, there's a bittersweet balance of biting citrus and soft, ripe stonefruit. Toasty, sweet shortbread-like malt supports, with naked oats and torrified wheat adding to the silky texture. Prickly with carbonation and warming with alcohol, the texture of this beer draws out the complex flavour profile of this 6.2% Belgian IPA.

We had originally hoped to feature the incredible illustration of John Felix on the label, but sadly other commitments left John unable to fit the project in. We'll get him next time. Instead, the design is a fair departure from anything we've produced before. We'd like to think of it as an interpretation of an explosion of flavour. Perhaps it represents the current political clusterbourach. Either way, we couldn't possibly comment on the suggestion that it looks like something a child would draw.

So listen to Cold Years' new single, drink the beer, and tune out all the distractions of the world around you, as the convergence of beer, art and music washes over you.

Cold Years' new single, 62 (My Generation's Falling Apart) is now available.

Our latest Convergence release is available here at Drygate and on our online shop; if you'd like to see it available near you, talk to your favourite retailer and demand they stock it.