Free State, 23rd Street, Blind Tiger breweries collaborate to introduce new strong ale

Beer lovers, prepare for Full Kimono.

The brewmasters at Free State Brewery, 23rd Street Brewery and Topeka’s Blind Tiger Brewery have collaborated to create a new beer in celebration of American Craft Beer Week, which is May 14 to May 20.

Full Kimono, an Imperial Red Ale, will be released this Friday at the three breweries. A firkin keg will be tapped at 23rd Street Brewery at 5:30 p.m., while Free State will introduce the beer, served in 10-oz. glasses, at 11:30 a.m. Each brewery will have about 10 barrels of Full Kimono, a strong beer with more than 10 percent alcohol by volume.

“It’s got a lot of hop character. It’s kind of akin to a double IPA, but it has a little more backbone as well,” said Free State head brewer Geoff Deman. “It’ll be pretty bold, yet balanced at the same time.”

Deman said working with the other brewers, Bryan “Bucky” Buckingham (23rd Street) and John Dean (Blind Tiger), whom he also counts as friends, was natural.

“All the brewers came away feeling like it was one of the best days they had brewing,” he said. “It’s fun to brew with friends.”