Climbing chalk company helped longtime Denver brewery reach new goals

By Jay McKinney

With the rise of craft brewing, brewers will put nearly anything in beer to spice it up and leave their creative mark. But climbing chalk? This month, Wynkoop Brewing Co. and Friction Labs, an athletic chalk company based in Denver, released a limited edition collaboration beer. The On Belay Hazy IPA is certainly hazy, due in part to the Friction Labs climbing chalk that was added during the brewing process.

The beer is available at Wynkoop’s brewpub in downtown Denver and Phantom Canyon Brewing Co. in Colorado Springs. Friction Labs and Wynkoop Brewing Co. have collaborated in the past, and they were thrilled to roll out this latest beer.

“This is the third time that we’ve been lucky enough to work with the Wynkoop team on a custom brew,” says Keah Kalantari, co-founder of Friction Labs. “We are both so precise with the development of our products and appreciate that, like athletic chalk, brewing beer can be both an art and a science. We’ve admired Wynkoop for many years and are so honored that Charles and his team believe in the quality of our chalk enough to put it in their beer.”

Charles McManus is the head brewer at Wynkoop and also somewhat of a climbing fanatic who uses Friction Labs chalk. Proof of his passion for the sport can be found in the basement of Wynkoop Brewery, where he has installed a miniature climbing wall and uses bags of wheat and barley for cushions.

Keah Kalantari of Friction Labs with Charles McManus and Todd Bellmyer pf Wynkoop Brewing Co.

While the climbing chalk may sound like an unnecessary additive that McManus threw in just to leave his creative mark on the beer, it actually serves a legitimate purpose.

“The reason that Colorado is such a great place to brew is because the water is naturally low in mineral base; it’s like a blank canvas that we can use to create any style,” McManus says. “Many times, we add different minerals, like chalk, in the brewing process and this time we’re doing it with Friction Labs chalk. Certain beers actually benefit from the addition of chalk and the superior quality of Friction Labs’ chalk will create a pillowy texture and accentuate the juicy mouthfeel.”

In addition to being a tasty beer, a portion of the proceeds will go to benefit Friction Labs’ Diversity in Climbing program that launched in the spring of 2021. The program aims to make climbing and fitness more accessible to children from underserved communities that may not have great access to the sport. Children from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver and Denver Children’s Home will be invited to Denver Bouldering Club and Movement RiNo for private events, where they will learn about climbing and can return with day passes.

Jay McKinney is a Colorado native who recently graduated from Metro State University of Denver with a bachelor’s degree in communications. He loves spending time outdoors, playing golf and hiking.