Imagine First Avenue nightclub serving Jucy Lucy's from Matt's Bar or "A Prairie Home Companion" being taken over by Har Mar Superstar. That's the kind of only-in-Minnesota pairing that has been taking place behind-the-scenes with the Surly Brewing Co. and local hip-hop troop Doomtree, who have teamed up to create a new beer in time for the latter's 10th annual -- and final – Blowout concert marathon.

Surly Doomtree will be available in kegs throughout the Blowout X eight-day run, Dec. 6-14. The flavor of the beer is being kept tightly under wraps until then by Surly brewmaster and metal shredder Todd Haug, but the newly arrived press release for the brew promises "it's a style that is fitting of both Doomtree and Surly -- non-traditional and hard to classify."

The second day of the eight-day farewell Blowout schedule, Dec. 7, has already been billed as Doomtree's Surly Day. No performance is scheduled that day but members of the group will be doing something else they're very good at: bar-hopping. They will hit a handful of beer havens around the Twin Cities that day and mingle with fans to tout the new brew. Word is the beer may not be limited to Blowout week, too, should demand for it outlast the rap shows.

Details of the Surly-Doomtree mash-up -- home brewers might get that pun -- were finally announced last night at the release party for another new beer, Surly 8, at the Dakota Jazz Club, where Doomtree members surprised partygoers with a short set. Mutual admirers for several years, Surly staff met with the hip-hop crew members over the summer to brew up ideas for their collaboration. The pairing is well timed for both parties promotionally spaking, as Surly is about to open its new $30 million facility near Prospect Park area of Minneapolis, and Doomtree will drop a new all-crew album in late January.

"Witnessing the pride and dedication they have not only for the beer that they create but the state that they come from, it all just kind of clicked," Doomtree producer Lazerbeak said of Surly. And Surly president Omar Ansari said of the rap kids, "They shared our belief that putting out a quality product that you can be proud of is more important than chasing what you think consumers want."

This beer shouldn't have any trouble finding consumers, though.