What happens when award-winning leaders in craft beer and craft whiskey get together? The result became deliciously evident today with the release of Sierra Nevada Rye Ale, a limited-edition beer brewed with Maryland-grown rye and aged for six months in rye whiskey barrels from Sagamore Spirit.

In this week’s edition of Last Call: There Colorado breweries are set to close; Sierra Nevada asks breweries to honor their Camp Fire pledges; U.S. beer shipments decline in April; Boston Beer delays its downtown Boston taproom opening; and more news.

Doubling down in their home state of California, Sufferfest has officially moved its brewing operations to parent company, Sierra Nevada’s Chico, California headquarters. The strategic move starts with a major expansion of Sufferfest’s footprint in California, enabled by Sierra Nevada’s robust distribution network.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. announced today that it is collaborating with Germany’s Bitburger Brewery on its 2019 Oktoberfest beer. The beer will be released nationwide in bottles in late July.

Bee Pollen. Quinoa. Pink Himalayan sea salt. You wouldn’t ordinarily expect to find these ingredients listed on a beer label, but increasingly brewing companies are pushing more “functional” offerings as they look to appeal to consumers seeking healthier alcohol options. It’s a new approach for a growing number of craft breweries, who for years have churned out calorie-dense, barrel-aged stouts, and high-octane IPAs.

Brewing and malting scientist Charlie Bamforth, known as the “Pope of Foam” for his extensive research, will join the staff at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., the brewery announced. Bamforth will hold the role of senior quality advisor.

Sufferfest, a functional beer brand brewed by athletes, for athletes, proudly adds professional skier Cody Townsend to its team of sufferers. Townsend is the first skier to join the team.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company, ranked by industry trade group the Brewers Association as the third largest U.S. craft brewery, today announced the purchase of San Francisco-based Sufferfest Beer Company. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and the transaction is expected to close in early April.

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company has a new CEO. Brewery founder Ken Grossman named former chief operating officer Jeff White to the position last October, the California-headquartered brewery confirmed to Brewbound.

Sierra Nevada Brewing is committing at least $10 million to a new grant program aimed at providing relief to the Northern California communities affected by last November’s “Camp Fire” — the most destructive wildfire in the state’s history.

Total U.S. beer dollar sales grew to more than $35 billion in 2018, according to retail data provider IRI. The Chicago-based market research firm, which tracks category-wide sales at major off-premise retailers, reported a 1.8 percent increase in beer dollar sales, despite a 0.3 percent decline in volume sales at multi-outlet and convenience (MULC) stores (grocery, drug, club, dollar, mass-merchandiser and military) through December 30.

Uncle Billy’s Brewery & Smokehouse is releasing its Resilience Butte County Proud IPA on Resilience Night, Thursday, Dec. 20. It was brewed collaboratively with Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. as a fundraiser to in support those affected by the Camp Fire in California.

In this week’s edition of Last Call: The California ABC uncovers brewpub violations; more than 1,200 beer companies join Sierra Nevada wildfire relief effort; Wiseacre sells stake to family office; Duvel Moortgat invests in London kombucha company; and more industry news from the week.

The next installment of the B-Dubs Brew Series at Buffalo Wild Wings is all about the Legends of Craft Beer. The beverage promotion features unique variations of Golden Ale style beer created by three of the most successful craft breweries in the country — New Belgium, Dogfish Head and Sierra Nevada.