Verona brewery and Oakmont Bakery collaborate to craft holiday beer

Inner Groove Brewing in Verona has partnered with Oakmont Bakery to craft a special holiday beer.

Ginger Bell Rock — a traditional brown ale brewed with gingerbread cookies — will debut Saturday at the Oaks Theater in Oakmont.

Samples will be available as well as 16-ounce drinks for purchase from 3-10 p.m. at 310 Allegheny River Blvd.

A gingerbread cookie comes with every purchase.

“We really enjoy doing local things with our businesses,” said Tony Serrao, Oaks owner and bakery general manager. “We’re all different kinds of businesses, so it’s putting all our business minds together.”

Serrao said bakery staff went to Inner Groove a few weeks ago and added at least 160 cookies to the brewing process.

“It tastes just like a gingerbread cookie,” Inner Groove co-owner Jen Walzer said. “We’re a newer business in Verona, so everybody in both communities have been very welcoming. Being able to work with Oakmont Bakery has been great, and we’re super excited about this launch.”

Walzer said they decided to collaborate with the iconic dessert shop after a successful launch of another cookie-based beverage a few months ago.

Inner Groove brewed Tuff Cookie, a brown ale with an oatmeal raisin cookie twist. The company gave out Oakmont Bakery cookies at its launch party.

“It went so well that we wanted to do something with the bakery for Christmas,” Walzer said. “We reached out to them to see if they wanted to do a collaboration and it just worked out perfectly.”

A special tap celebration is planned for 2-8 p.m. Sunday at the brew house at 751 E. Railroad Ave., Verona.

Ginger Bell Rock (5.8% alcohol content) will be served in 5-, 12- and 16-ounce glasses and 32-ounce cans to go throughout the holiday season or while supplies last.

Go to innergroovebrewing.com for more information.