Aslan Brewing Company and Base Camp Brewing Company recently collaborated on two separate beers, but one style. This “cascadian collaboration” was built around mutual interests, the great outdoors and their love of beers that don’t follow traditional style guidelines.

The first collaboration beer was brewed at Base Camp about 5 weeks ago, in Portland. The second brewed at Aslan three weeks ago, in Bellingham. Base Camp released their version yesterday. Aslan owner, Jack Lamb was in Portland for the Craft Brewers Conference and BrewExpo, so he was there for the release.

Join BCBC and the @AslanBrewing crew this Thursday at Base Camp for the release of our collabo #craftbeer Night Rider, an Imperial West Coast Pilsner. // Aslan’s bringing a few extra goodies to have #ontap too! #CBC2015 #ORbeer #WAbeer #PNW

A photo posted by Base Camp Brewing Co. (@basecampbrewing) on Apr 15, 2015 at 11:07am PDT

Aslan isn’t the only Tap Trail brewery to collaborate of late. Chuckanut Brewing recently collaborated with Devils Backbone of Virginia, on what will be a Session Pilsner and will be ready in about 5 weeks. That collaboration was also started around a friendship that started years ago.

A collaboration requires an exchange of ideas, brewing philosophies and joint problem solving. Having similar brewing philosophies usually means you have similar personal philosophies.

“If we lived and brewed in Portland, we’d be brewing and hanging with the Base Camp guys all the time,” says Aslan’s Head Brewer, Frank Trosset.

That philosophy revolves around a mutual love of the outdoors, including snowboarding. Base Camp and Aslan met three years ago while Aslan was researching opening their brewery. Mount Baker Ski Area and Mt. Hood Meadows share a ticket promotion. If you own an unlimited pass at either hill, you will get 5 free days at the other hill. Last winter Aslan decided to combine snowboarding and brewing. They’d collaborate on a beer, but instead of brewing in one brewery location, as with the Chuckanut and Devils Backbone collaboration, they’d brew in two.

Frank also said the collaboration was perfect timing with Aslan’s interest in seeing their beer farther south, down the I-5 corridor. They are pushing into Seattle and they hope to see it on tap handles in Portland as well.

The collaboration led to interesting brewing problems for Aslan. They are a certified organic brewery and Base Camp is not, so any beer they’d choose to collaborate on would be limited by what organic ingredients they could source. Having solved those they agreed on a style that matched their brewing philosophies: Out of the box and non-traditional. They decided on something they are calling an Imperial Steam Lager. It’s 7% and hopped with Summit and Sterling.