Daytrotter has a well-deserved reputation for being hip. The music-streaming website based in Rock Island, Illinois, boasts exclusive recording sessions with indie stalwarts like The Lumineers and Bon Iver, while also promoting unorthodox performers. Each recording is paired with caricature-like portraits that are Daytrotter’s true calling cards.
The signature designs can now be spotted on a new label, as Daytrotter finds yet another claim to legitimate indie cred—their own craft beer. Daytrotter Pale Ale, a collaboration with Des Moines-based Exile Brewing Company, was released in July and is still sold at the brewery.
“The collaboration made a lot of sense,” Daytrotter founder Sean Moeller says. “The guys at Exile were fans, and they asked if anyone had approached us about doing a beer.”
It was the brains at Exile who first imagined a Daytrotter-inspired brew. The companies worked together to “hash out ideas,” but in the end, it was Exile who brought the beer to fruition.
In addition to capturing the eccentric essence of Daytrotter with the new brew, they also wanted to add a specialty beer that could stand on its own, says RJ Tursi, owner of Exile Brewing Company.
“We were looking for a seasonal beer,” Tursi says. “A lighter pale ale–nothing over the top.” As for what’s next, Exile is looking into potentially sponsoring future Daytrotter shows and events.
“We both want to get the most out of the collaboration,” Tursi says. “We’re really excited to have them as partners.”
Music fans and beer drinkers across Iowa are, too.
