(Brunswick, ME) – Greg Koch’s central theme at the recent Craft Brewer’s Conference was collaboration. A month later, one of the great ongoing beer collaborations of our time has come to an end. Word of out of Maine and Belgium today is that the partnership between Chris Lively of Ebenezer’s Pub and Struise is done. Struise will not be part of the new pub that Chris is opening in Brunswick, ME, (aka the project formerly known as The Pannepot Cafe) and will not be attending this year’s Belgian Beer Fest in Maine. At the same time, Struise has announced that it will be opening up its own brewery in Oostvleteren in Belgium.

Chris Lively posted the dish on Facebook today:

“In the last year The Struise team threatened to pull the name on us three times for ridiculous reasons. On top of that, they wanted to franchise the Pannepot Cafe as well, which Jeni and I could and would not agree to, especially when the Struise team had no money invovled. When the final contract stated this after monthes of … Read Morenegotiations, Jen and I decided to let someone else open up the McDonalds Cafe and we would continue what we do best, serving great beer as a mom and pops joint. We will still open, and we have yet another world class brewer brewing with us, and we will have plenty of guests for our Belgian Fest too.

You say franchise…I say French Fries! I will still have an incredible opening tap and bottle list at the Cafe, including lambic from the 70’s and 80’s and some nice American Rarities!”

Urbain Coutteau of Struise responded:

“Hanging out dirty laundry is not our thing, and is very bad for image & business, Chris should know better. As in all stories where Struise is involved, we have the task to inform our clients and fans about the reality around this or any other project. We know too, that we do not have any responsibility in the negative outcome of this project.

Today, we wish Jennifer & Chris good luck with their business and future goals.”

And in responding to someone on BA:

“Judging Struise today is your right! The only thing we can add is, we played it more than nice… Struise has never been unfair to nobody or to anyone, that is the whole philosophy behind Struise.”

The famed Black Albert was first brewed for Chris and was quickly named one of the best beers in the world; the Struise guys have been an integral part the Belgian Beer Fest at Ebenezer’s each August. Time will tell how Chris manages the new pub, still to be named though potentially opening this summer, and the BBF without Struise, named by RateBeer as best brewers in the world in 2008, on board. Beer Advocate has crowned Lively’s bar as the world’s best over these last couple years.

First hints may have surfaced on Wednesday when Chris announced that “we are going to have to change our name, and our format as well.” On the same day, as it turned out, Struise announced on the Zythos board that it’d be opening a microbrewery in Belgium to much applause from local beer folks overseas. We should have put two and two together right then.

A strange turn of events . . . the Pannepot Cafe project appeared to be on track just days earlier though it looks like both sides of this once world-class partnership are moving ahead toward new beginnings.