Courtesy Columbia Sportswear / Breakside Brewery)

Not sure anyone saw this limited release coming. But it will be out there just in time for the Big Game and we’ve gotta admit, it’s wild.

Here’s the deal…

Portland, Oregon-based Columbia Sportswear is bringing an unusually literal taste of the outdoors to football fans this season — and yes, it involves actual bear droppings.

The cutting-edge outdoor brand has teamed up with Breakside Brewery to release a limited-edition lager called “Nature Calls,” a beer designed to celebrate the wild in a way only Columbia could dream up.

Timed to coincide with football’s biggest Sunday, the collaboration is equal parts craft brewing and brand stunt, with a storyline that’s hard to ignore.

Nature Calls is  described a crisp, easy-drinking lager. But the twist is what’s getting all the headlines: water used in the brewing process was infused with sanitized bear droppings collected from trails in Montana, sourced from the American black bear

It’s no doubt, an eye-opening detail that plays directly into Columbia’s long-running “Engineered for Whatever” platform — the idea that the company designs gear to handle anything nature throws your way.

In this case, they’re embracing nature in one of its least glamorous forms, bear poop.

Columbia leans into the joke, framing the beer as proof that it truly means whatever when it talks about braving the elements. The concept turns one of the outdoors’ more unpleasant realities into a tongue-in-cheek badge of honor — and now, apparently, a beverage.

Despite the wild origin story, the beer itself is firmly rooted in the Pacific Northwest craft tradition.

Brewed in Portland by Breakside, Nature Calls features Bull Run water, regional malted grains, plus notes of honey and huckleberry. The result is meant to be clean, balanced, and approachable.

“We’ve brewed a lot of beers, but never one that celebrates nature this literally,” said Scott Lawrence, Founder of Breakside Brewery. “When Columbia came to us with the idea to use bear poop, we thought they were joking. Turns out, they weren’t – and now we’ve got the wildest beer in America and maybe the world. It’s crazy, it’s fun, and honestly… it tastes great.”

Nature Calls will make its debut at The Players Tailgate in Santa Clara on February 8, marking Columbia’s first-ever presence connected to the Big Game festivities. The beer will also be poured in limited quantities at Breakside’s Portland locations.

And, yes beer is completely safe to drink. While its inspiration — and one carefully treated ingredient — comes from the wild, the brewing process follows the same strict safety and quality standards as any other Breakside release.

Outdoor brands usually tell you to “leave no trace.” Columbia, however would like you to drink the trace — responsibly, of course.

It’s absurd. It’s funny. And it’s a little gross.

But honestly?

It might be the most memorable beer marketing stunt of the year.

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