LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN) - Empyrean Brewing Company and The Mill Coffee and Tea are staples in the Haymarket community. Now, they’ve combined forces to create a new craft beer called the ‘Cold Brew Cream Ale’.

It all began at one of the outdoor concerts held by The Mill at their Telegraph location in the summer. The Mill owners and Empyrean sales manager pointed out the idea that the two companies should come together for a collaboration.

“The idea caught some traction, but we didn’t pick it up again until this previous fall when we got back together,” Jim Engelbart, Operations Manager at Empyrean Brewing Co. said. “We said we have some ideas for beer and they said we do too,”

Both companies knew that beer-coffee drinks are typically a ‘stout,’ a stronger beer mixed with a darker coffee roast, something they knew likely wouldn’t appeal to a wider audience.

“We had an idea for a very easygoing light colored cream ale,” Engelbart said. “We thought that would have enough substance without being heavy to hold up the nice roasted aromas and flavors of the coffee,”

The idea was set, then it was time to get to work, and begin that tasting process.

“We played with a number of roast levels, a number of different origins of coffee to come up with something that really matched up with that cream ale,” Dan Sloan, Owner and President of The Mill Coffee and Tea said. “I’d love to think we were that good, but it was about the third iteration that everybody just went ‘stop, this is it.’”

The beer has been on draft for about three months and because of it’s popularity, the decision was made to start canning it.

It’s a collaboration both businesses didn’t know they needed, but it’s been something they’re grateful for.

“It’s such a great organization; Empyrean does such a such a great job and and like us they’re kind of kind of Lincoln born-and-bred.” Sloan said.

“Every morning when I come to work I park and walk down the street and I’m usually hit first with the smell of boiling beer coming off of our brewery, when I cross the street and turn the corner I get all of the roasting aromas off The Mill,” Engelbart said. “We should have come up with this idea sooner. The materials have been there, the vibe has been there and for a business that’s been around as long as us and in the same hood to finally partner up, is really cool, very special.”

Cold Brew Cream Ale is on tap at The Mill locations where alcohol is served. The golden-colored beer is also available on store shelves in Lincoln, including Hy-Vee, Wall to Wall Wine and Wine, Beer, and Spirits.