FORT COLLINS, CO — This week, Odell Brewing Company kicked off UnBottled. What is UnBottled? It’s the playful spirit within Odell Brewing that leads to collaboration, creativity and innovation. Play is what Odell puts in all their beers. And what they hope you get out of them.
There’s a growing awareness of the value of play, thanks in part to Stuart Brown’s book, Play; Kevin Carroll’s book, Red Rubber Ball; and recent marketing campaigns from companies like Keen (“Recess is back”) and Purina (“Play like a pet”).
But play has always been part of the Odell culture. They refer to their pilot brewing system as their “playground,” and their mission statement practically makes fun official. They invite anyone in the company to try their hand at brewing. And when they need to let off steam, they’ve been known to have shrink-wrap boxing matches or shoot hoops right there inside the brewery. At Odell, they know that play brings people together, loosens them up and forces them to think differently—and sometimes, to stop thinking so hard.
Playful experimentation has produced some of their most talked-about beers, including St. Lupulin, Myrcenary, Friek and the industry’s first-ever Twitter beer. Each year they celebrate this approach to brewing at their Small Batch Festival. And of course, they encourage fun and community every day in the taproom, through games, live music and a collective commitment to donate proceeds to a Charity of the Month.
For Odell Brewing, play isn’t a distraction from brewing. It’s a secret ingredient.
Here’s how you can play along:
Great Ball Hunt, June 2: Part treasure hunt, part pub crawl. Odell hides a bunch of UnBottled balls in their favorite pubs around Ft. Collins and Denver; hilarity ensues. The hints are dropping now on Facebook and Twitter.
UnBottled Sharing (June 2nd – July 7): Show the world how you get UnBottled. For every photo or video you post to the Odell UnBottled Facebook app, they’ll donate $1 to one of three non-profits: Trout Unlimited, United Way or Education and Life Training Center.
Playday, June 30: What happens when everyone everywhere plays on the same day? Only the best day ever! Make your pledge to play, starting June 3 on Facebook.