Wawa, 2SP Brewing create coffee stout
Limited edition brew is blended with Wawa coffee
CHADDS FORD » Lovers of Wawa coffee will soon have an opportunity to drink a new — and very limited — seasonal version.
The Delaware County-based Wawa is collaborating with 2SP Brewing Co. of Aston, Delaware County, to release Winter Reserve Coffee Stout — an oatmeal stout beer blended with Wawa’s new limited-edition Winter Blend coffee.
The seasonal brew features flavors of sweet clove, dark chocolate and graham crackers.
Winter Reserve Coffee Stout is brewed by Bob Barrar, 2SP Brewing Co.’s award-winning head brewer and Delaware County native, in partnership with Michael McLaughlin, product development manager for Wawa.
A seasonal brew, there will only be about 1,000 cases produced, according to Michael Contreras, director of sales and marketing for 2SP Brewing.
“So when they’re gone, they’re gone,” he said.
Before it is officially on sale, Wawa will host a Firkin Tapping event Dec. 6 from 4 to 6 p.m. at Wawa’s Concord store, 721 Naamans Creek Road, the only Wawa store in Pennsylvania to sell beer.
The first 50 cases of Winter Reserve Coffee Stout will be available to purchase on a firstcome, first-serve basis that day and will be limited to two, four packs per person. At the same time, attendees can enjoy complimentary beer tastings, while supplies last.
On Dec. 8, Contreras said 2SP will offer tastings of the stout at its location, 120 Concord Road, Units 101-103, Aston.
Starting Dec. 10, cans of the Winter Reserve Coffee Stout will officially be available to purchase through Origlio beverage at neighborhood bars, bottle shops and distributers in the five county Philadelphia region — including Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties.
The available supplies will be distributed among 75 to 100 retailers, and Contreras said he expects that most of the retailers are likely to limit customer quantities.
The collaboration happened very quickly, according to Contreras, who said the brewery wanted to do something “fun” around the holidays, and the idea of pairing with Wawa’s Winter Reserve Blend coffee was mentioned.
“We pitched the idea to Wawa in mid-October. They agreed to it and the idea was to keep it small and keep it local,” he said, adding that the project was
given the green light within two or three days.
Contreras added that the stout — which takes about 25 to 30 days to brew, ferment out and age — is still in the tank at the brewery.
“We’ll be canning a day or two before the Dec. 6 event. We will also be canning Dec. 11,” he said, adding that a truck will be at the brewery that day to pick up the remaining cases for market.
“The product will be very fresh, which is what you want with a coffee stout,” he said, adding that a coffee stout is meant to be consumed when it’s fresh. “It shouldn’t be any more than two months old. The flavor doesn’t have the same punch from the coffee that it has when it’s fresh.”
“At Wawa, supporting our local neighbors is at the heart of everything we do, which makes our special partnership with 2SP so crucial at our Chadds Ford store, our only Pennsylvania store to sell beer,” Mike Sherlock, chief product marketing officer for Wawa Inc., said in the release. “We are both happy to call Delaware County our hometown and we’re excited to team up to create a Winter Reserve Coffee Stout using our new limited-edition Wawa Reserve Winter Blend allowing us to add even more value to our customer experience just in time for the holidays.”
Contreras said working with Wawa through the process has been, “awesome for a small guy like us.”
“They care about their product, their brand and their customers,” he said, adding that Wawa could have worked with much bigger companies. “And they could have done it big. Instead, they did it with us — and that says a lot.”
2SP Brewing Co., which opened in 2015, was founded by Michael Stiglitz. Head brewer Bob Barrar has won more than 30 Great American Beer Fest Medals and 11 World Beer Cups. For more information visit www.2spbrewing.com.