# Regional Stout Collaborations LA Brewery And Dank Brewing Release Thier Folk Seal By Adam Harrie | Written with AI assistance | Published 2026-05-29 | Business Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/Dank-Brewing References: [thedrinksbusiness](https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2026/05/milan-and-palermo-brewers-join-forces-to-release-a-stout/) & [dankbrewing.it](https://www.dankbrewing.it/)  Milan-based LA Brewery and Palermo’s [Dank Brewing](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dank-double-ipa) collaborated to create Folk Seal, an Irish stout that marks a departure from the breweries’ more familiar beer styles. Brewed at 4.2% ABV, the release combines English pale and crystal malts with oats and wheat to deliver a smooth, approachable stout designed for easy drinking. The beer is available in both can and keg formats through [Organic Beer’s](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mixing-machine) webshop and participating bars. While LA Brewery is best known for hazy beers, lagers and pale ales, and Dank Brewing for its West Coast-style IPAs, Folk Seal explores a more [traditional dark-beer profile](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/seasonal-dark-beer). The recipe produces notes of dark cocoa, toasted bread and coffee, balanced by a dry finish and a velvety mouthfeel derived from the grain blend. For consumers and venues, the collaboration offers a sessionable stout that broadens the range of styles available from two established Italian craft brewers. The release reflects a growing trend of brewery collaborations being used to experiment with new categories and introduce drinkers to styles outside a brand’s core portfolio. Image Credit: Dank Brewing ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 4.8/10 - Popularity: 30% | Activity: 38% | Freshness: 77% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Business](https://www.trendhunter.com/business) > [New Ventures](https://www.trendhunter.com/newventures) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Cross-style Collaborations:** Collaborations between brewers known for different core styles create hybrid offerings that can reframe brand identities and expand consumer expectations. - **Sessionable Dark Beers:** Lower-ABV stouts and dark ales are making traditional heavy styles more accessible to everyday consumption and broader market segments. - **Craft-to-consumer Channels:** Use of webshops and selective keg distribution is enabling small breweries to bypass traditional wholesalers and tailor releases directly to niche audiences. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Craft Brewing:** Small and regional breweries are positioned to diversify portfolios through collaborative recipes that attract new drinker demographics without abandoning core followers. - **Beverage Retail:** Online specialty beer retailers can curate limited collaborative releases and create demand-driven inventory strategies that differentiate them from mainstream sellers. - **On-premise Hospitality:** Bars and taprooms offering collaborative and sessionable pours can reshape tasting menus and customer dwell time with more experimental, lower-ABV options. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Bookish Beer Cans](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/faber-faber-beak.md) - [Collaborative Stout Beer Streetwear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/guinness-x-lazy-oaf-collection.md) - [Timely Non-Alcoholic Beer Launches](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/stevens-point-brewery.md) - [Collaboration Outdoor Lifestyle Beers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/breakside-brewery-nature-calls.md) - [Experiential Wellness-Focused Pop-Ups](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/while-on-earth1.md) - [Artistic Beer Packaging](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/core-legends.md) - [Collaborative Citrus Lager Releases](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/citrus-daydream-lager.md) - [Playful Monster-Inspired Beer Labels](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wind-and-waves.md) - [Latin Artist Whisky Campaigns](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/scotch-whisky-green-seal.md)