Fancy a little extra something-something in your morning cup of joe without having to dip into grandpa’s medicine cabinet? Death Wish Coffee, the national coffee brand that launched in the basement of Downtown Saratoga Springs’ Saratoga Coffee Traders in 2012, has percolated its latest batch of beer, Oat-bituary Stout, through an exclusive partnership with Queensbury-based Northway Brewing Co.
This marks the first time in two years that Death Wish has collaborated with a local brewer to produce a beer, which, as per its punny name, will be an oatmeal stout brewed with Death Wish Coffee, cacao nibs and vanilla bean.
Death Wish first got into the crossover (beer) brewing business when it worked on a line of craft beers with the now-shuttered Olde Saratoga Brewing Company. Northway turned out to be the perfect suitors for a follow-up: The brewery’s current general manager, Max Oswald, worked in the same position at Olde Saratoga. “Over the last few years, we’ve had countless opportunities to collaborate with many great local brewers,” says John Swedish, director of strategic engagement and partnerships at Death Wish Coffee. “The timing just wasn’t right for us. When Max called a few months ago and said members of his team from Olde Saratoga Brewing were coming back together to work at Northway Brewing, we immediately got excited.”
Oswald says that the Oat-bituary team-up will also mark a “new direction” for Northway Brewing, which will maintain its core brands but pivot to “partnerships and unique one-offs and small-batch beers.”
Death Wish and Northway Brewing will be throwing an official launch party for the beer on Friday, January 10 from 2pm to 7pm at Saratoga City Tavern in Saratoga. It’s open to the public. For interested parties, the event will feature free samples and pint specials, as well as a sneak peek at future collaborations between the two brands. The event will also be broadcast live on 104.5 The Team ESPN Radio’s Levack and Goz.
Post-launch party, Oat-bituary will be available at Price Chopper/Market 32 grocery stores, area beverage centers and a number of independent retailers, as well as at Northway Brewing Co. itself. The new brew will also get a second coming out party at the Northway Brewing-hosted Broken Resolutions Beer Fest, which takes place from 5pm to 8pm on Saturday, January 18. Proceeds from the event will benefit ACCT Naturally, a local nonprofit focused on off-track thoroughbreds interacting with veterans, first responders and teenagers.