Story and photos by Jamie Mills

The city of Wheat Ridge will be well represented when the doors swing open for the 4th annual Collaboration Fest in Denver.

Brewery Rickoli teamed up with Colorado Plus Brew Pub and Taphouse to create a Red Wheat IPA. The two breweries are located just minutes away from each other in the heart of Wheat Ridge.

James Coulter is the newly hired head brewer/brewmaster at Colorado Plus and has been homebrewing for many years before getting his position there. Colorado Plus has 56 rotating taps featuring Colorado breweries and up to 10 taps of their own experimental beers.

Rickoli’s is known for its American classic gluten-removed beers on each of its 16 taps. Owner and head brewer Rick Abitbol has brewed for more than a decade at breweries around the state and started out as a homebrewer. "We're the only two breweries in Wheat Ridge,” Abitbol said, adding “we've been friends for a long time, so it just made sense."

Their Red Wheat IPA will be 7.5% ABV and 80 IBU. It will also be gluten reduced. The brewing process began Feb. 8, and the pair spent about six hours getting the IPA rolling in preparation for Collaboration Fest on March 25 at the National Western Complex. Both breweries will have the beer on hand after the event, but visit them soon because it won’t last long.

Brewery Rickoli is just south of West 44th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard, and Colorado Plus is at West 38th Avenue and Reed Street, formerly Valente’s Restaurant.