I came across an approval for a keg ring for a Sierra Nevada beer I had never heard of.  Sierra Nevada S8zon.  When digging into what this beer was, the brewery told me about a program they have that I thought I should pass on. 

The program is what Sierra Nevada calls "Beer Camp".  For Beer Camp, they invite major and principle on premise accounts to go and spend a couple of days at Sierra Nevada.  The first day is spent exploring the brewery, sampling beer, and learning about the history and future of Sierra Nevada.  On the second day, campers meet with the brewers in their research and development brewery.  There they come up with a recipe that they would like to brew, in any style in which they choose.  Once they come up with a style, projected abv, and recipe, they brew the beer.  When the beer is ready they have the kegs shipped back to their establishments and have their own micro release beer on tap. 

The first beer made by a Beer Camp group was an Imperial Pilsner called Super 7's.  There were seven people in the group.  This one had eight people on the 8th, thus S8zon.  It hasn't been intentional so far, but has worked well for naming purposes.  The last group had participants from Washington DC, Denver, Tuscon, San Diego, San Francisco.  The campers get updates and tasting notes on their beer from Sierra Nevada's sensory panel. 

This sounds like a great program and seems to really be flying under the radar.  If you are lucky, you might get a chance to try one of these beers on draft at your favorite establishment some day.