Beer for the Midwest farmer: Lincoln brewer partners with equipment dealer

Zipline Brewing Co. has come up with collaboration beers honoring a number of groups, from Ukrainian refugees to University of Nebraska alumni to flood victims.

With it's latest effort, it's celebrating the state's farmers.

AKRS Ale is a collaboration between Zipline Brewing Co. and AKRS Equipment Solutions.

The award-winning Lincoln brewery has partnered with AKRS Equipment Solutions, a John Deere dealership with more than two dozen locations across Nebraska and Kansas, to produce AKRS Ale.

In a news release, the two companies described the beer as "proudly made for the hardworking Midwest farmer."

The light beer, which is brewed with Nebraska-grown corn, has fewer than 100 calories per serving and "finishes crisp and clean with a light refreshing flavor."

"Just as our customers associate the AKRS name with quality in the field, we want them to look for AKRS Ale when it's time to wind down and know they’re getting a great American beer brewed with them in mind," said Kevin Clark, CEO of AKRS.

Marcus Powers, co-founder and CEO of Zipline, said AKRS Ale "will become the go-to brew for an entire group of folks that love light American beers but might not think they have any great local options."

"In this project, we’re bringing together local companies to create a local beer, made with local ingredients, for local farmers," he said.

The beer will have a limited release on draft next week, followed by a full-scale launch, including 12 packs of cans, in October.

The taproom of White Elm Brewing Co. at 720 Van Dorn St. Its website says White Elm was "built around a shared passion for handcrafted ales and a willingness to defy logic and pursue our love."

Matt Gohring (left) and Adam Holmberg check Code Beer's boil kettle and mash tun. The brewery is located at 200 S. Antelope Valley Parkway.

Backswing Brewing Co., 500 W. South St., opened in 2017. The brewery is "the brainchild of three friends whose mediocre golf games gave way to great craft beer," the company's Facebook page boasts.

The details in the taproom's design, including exposed brick, open ceilings, custom tap handles and industrial lighting, lend to the speakeasy atmosphere designer Jessica Lindersmith and Boiler Brewing Company aim for in the basement of the Grand Manse. Boiler Brewing Co. is at 129 N. 10th St.

Some of the craft brews offered by Zipline, 2100 Magnum Circle.

Brewing tanks hold a batch of wort ready to ferment into beer at Empyrean Brewing Co. in the Haymarket, 729 Q St., in April 2015.

Sam Riggins opened Cosmic Eye Brewing at the old Laser Quest location near 70th and O streets.

Catalyst is located at 5730 Hidcote Drive (56th and Pine Lake).

Corn Coast Brewing is at 1433 Dahlberg Drive near 14th and Yankee Hill. "We produce small-batch beers with a focus on crushable session beers and hoppy ales," the brewer said on its Facebook page.

Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or [email protected].

On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.

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Business reporter

Matt Olberding is a Lincoln native and University of Nebraska-Lincoln graduate who has been covering business for the Journal Star since 2005.

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