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Ben Caya
Owner, Spike Brewing

P U R SUE WHAT’S PO SSIBLE

When I started Spike ten years ago, I couldn’t have predicted that one day we’d be an industry
leader in the brewing equipment market. What began as a simple basement project is now a bona
fide national brand with 25 employees and a 25,000 square foot facility, and it all started with a
little drive and ingenuity. I see the same passion in the brewing community every day, reminding
me of what got Spike started in the first place. And as we reflect on our roots, we enter our
second decade with a new look, a clear mission and an unwavering commitment to our customers.
Because whether you’d like to go pro or just make an awesome homebrew, we’re here to help.

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 | CONTENTS: AUG-SEPT 2020 |

56
Hard Easy Seltzer
As it turns out, hard seltzer is not all that
hard to make—unless you want to do it well.

61
The Continuing
Evolution of IPA
Soft or crisp, light or hefty, sweet or bitter,
hazy or clear, juicy or piney—and all sorts
of things in between—the rapid evolution
of IPA continues unabated.
62 | Don’t Be Creeped Out
Stan Hieronymus explains the
creeping phenomenon of dry-
hopped beers that seem to have
minds of their own.
65 | 5-on-5: IPAs
66 | Brewing a Light-Hearted
Low-Cal IPA
Andy Farrell of Bell’s Brewery on
the nuts-and-bolts tinkering behind
Light Hearted Ale.
70 | The Accelerating
Dialectic of IPA
More juice, but with more bite—
East Coast and West Coast are
synthesizing, again. How did we
61 get here? And what’s next?
73 | West Coast Haze
62 66 Connor Casey, cofounder of
Cellarmaker in San Francisco,
sketches out what may be the next
inevitable evolution of the style.
75 | Hazy Triple IPA:
Bigger & Juicier
Adam Robbings of Reuben’s Brews
on the keys to brewing
higher-gravity IPAs (and they don’t
start with hops).
76 | More of the Flavors We Love
Randy Mosher on how fruit and
spice can amplify the hop-forward
aromas and flavors of IPA.
79 | Tasted: IPAs

BEERANDBREWING.COM |3
| CONTENTS |

THE MASH 36
11 | Infographic
12 | Editors’ Picks & Whalez, Bro
18 | Love Handles
20 | Special Ingredient: CBD

BREWING

22 | Style School: Vienna Lager

28 | Make Your Best: ESB & Irish Red 22 48
32 | No Rests for the Wicked:
Quick Souring with Extracts
52 | Gearhead: Dialing In Whirlpools
& Hot-Side Hopping Techniques

PICK SIX

36 | Ben Edmunds of Breakside

in Portland, Oregon, gets
nostalgic for mind-expanders
in his picked sixer.

COOKING WITH BEER

40 | Cooking with IPA

BREAKOUT BREWERS

44 | Lone Pine Brewing

48 | Wayfinder Beer

MORE

95 | CB&B Retail Shop Directory

95 | Advertiser Index
96 | Chill Plate
32
Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine® (print ISSN 2334-119X; online
44 40
ISSN 2334-1203) is published six times a year in January,
February, May, July, August, and November for $29.99 per year (six
issues) by Unfiltered Media Group, LLC at 311 S. College Ave., Fort
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is $49.99 U.S.

4| CRAFT BEER & BREWING

| RECIPES IN THIS ISSUE |

HOMEBREW RECIPES
BRLO × Run the Jewels Wayfinder Relapse IPA
Legend Has It Kevin Davey, Wayfinder Beer
Page 50
Michael Lembke, BRLO
Page 21 Modular Craft Seltzer
Traditional 1870s Josh Weikert
Page 59
Vienna Lager
Andreas Krenmair Beachwood
Page 25 Amalgam-ish IPA
Winterhausen Julian Shrago, via Drew Beechum
Page 72
Extra Special Bitter
Josh Weikert Cellarmaker Kilning
Page 28 Me Softly IPA
You’re Not Irish Red Ale Connor Casey, Cellarmaker
Josh Weikert Brewing
Page 74
Page 30

Jester’s Mintegranate Sour Reuben’s Triple Crush

Jester Goldman Triple IPA
Page 32 Adam Robbings, Reuben’s Brews
Page 75
Lone Pine Diamond
Unicorn Double IPA 2nd Shift Sunny Cat
Lone Pine Brewing Steve Crider, 2nd Shift Brewing
Page 46 Page 78

RECIPE PHOTO: MATT GRAVES/WWW.MGRAVESPHOTO.COM; CONTRIBUTOR PHOTOS: COURTESY KATE BERNOT; COURTESY JEFF ALWORTH;
| CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE |

COURTESY RANDY MOSHER; COURTESY BETH DEMMON; COURTESY STAN HIERONYMUS; COURTESY ADAM ROBBINGS

Kate Bernot is a contrib- Jeff Alworth is the Randy Mosher has Beth Demmon is a Stan Hieronymus has Adam Robbings is co-
uting editor for Craft Beer author of The Beer Bible, spent most of his career San Diego–based beer been writing about founder and brewmaster
& Brewing Magazine® Cider Made Simple, and working on creative proj- journalist and recipient beer for more than 20 of Reuben’s Brews in
and a Sightlines contribu- The Secrets of Master ects revolving around of the 2019 Diversity years, including three Seattle, Washington.
tor to Good Beer Hunting. Brewers. He can be beer. Author of Tasting in Beer Writing grant books popular with After a decorated home-
She was previously the found writing about beer Beer and four other from the North American homebrewers—For the brew career, Adam and
beer editor at DRAFT Mag- at his blog, Beervana. books, he also teaches, Guild of Beer Writers. Love of Hops, Brew Like his wife, Grace, opened
azine and is a certified He also cohosts the consults on recipes Her work has appeared a Monk, and Brewing Reuben’s in 2012. Since
beer judge. She lives in Beervana Podcast, with and branding, and is a in Good Beer Hunting, with Wheat. His most opening, Reuben’s is the
Missoula, Montana, with Oregon State University partner in two Chicago- CraftBeer.com, VICE recent book, Brewing most decorated brewery
a black lab and three economics professor area breweries—5 Munchies, and more. Local: American-Grown in Washington State. It
backyard chickens. Patrick Emerson. Rabbit Cervecería and Beer, is a field guide to brewed more than 170
Forbidden Root. brewing with foraged different beers in 2019.
ingredients.

6| CRAFT BEER & BREWING

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| EDITOR’S NOTE |

IPA IS THE MOST POPULAR CRAFT-BEER STYLE in the Editorial Director Jamie Bogner
United States, but it seems destined—for the the foreseeable Managing Editor Joe Stange
future—to remain the one that brewers and beer writers love Contributing Editor Kate Bernot
Writers Jeff Alworth, Drew Beechum, Connor Casey,
to pretend to hate. It’s inevitable, really—any time anything Beth Demmon, Jester Goldman, Stan Hieronymus,
achieves such success and ubiquity, it automatically becomes a Ben Keene, Justin Kruger, Randy Mosher, Adam
target, no matter what the creative or competitive arena. Robbings, John Verive, Josh Weikert, Justin Wright
Photographer Matt Graves
The noise has grown cacophonous over the past decade, as Illustrators Ansis Puriņš, Jamie Bogner
arguments such as “West Coast IPAs are just too bitter” morph Production Mark Dobroth
into “Hazy IPA is lazy brewing.” That is shifting into the latest Proofreader Nancy Arndt
common lines of critique—“Hazy IPAs all taste the same,”
“they’re too sweet” or “too Print Management Trish Faubion
intense,” and “it’s too hard to
drink more than one.”
Tasting Panel Josh Aune, Cy Bevenger,
I get it, I really do. Many of us Mark Boelman, Matt Burton, Geoff Coleman,
who fall in love with craft beer Patrick Combs, Greg Crum, Jester Goldman,
do so for the adventure and Fred Hirsch, Matt Kunze, Ted Manahan,
Andy Mitchell, Ryan Pachmayer, Brian Pramov,
exploration it affords—seeking Eric Reinsvold, Nathan Rooen, Greg Simonds,
out interesting beers made by Gray Slater, Joe Stange, Jim Turk, Ryan Wagner
passionate producers tucked
away in various corners of the Publisher Haydn Strauss
world. It feels less subversive, Media Experience Manager Blake Osmond
less compelling, to channel FOR MEDIA SALES INQUIRIES, please call 888.875.8708 x2 or
email [email protected].
that drive for “adventure”
into buying expensive cans of
Customer Success Manager Arielle Thompson
similarly constructed sweet and
hazy IPAs, all made with more or less the same hops, and sold by RETAILERS: If you are interested in selling Craft Beer &
Brewing Magazine® in your shop or brewery, please contact us at
online retailers who ship them right to your doors. The discon- [email protected] or 888-875-8708 x705.
nect widens as some of those beautiful, small, traditional brewers
struggle to maintain “relevance” while the unstoppable IPA trend Find us:
vacuums up the lion’s share of specialty-beer revenue. Web: beerandbrewing.com
Twitter: @craftbeerbrew
But a funny thing happened on the way to the Global Craft Facebook: facebook.com/craftbeerandbrewing
Monoculture—IPA got weird. I don’t know when, exactly, it Instagram: craftbeerbrew
happened. But looking back at the past 18 to 24 months or so, Pinterest: pinterest.com/craftbeerbrew
it’s clear to me that it has. Citra-Galaxy and Citra-Mosaic duets Editorial and sales office:
still rule the mainstream like Taylor Swift on the pop charts, 311 S. College Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80524
888.875.8708
but that quest for interesting experiences and something “else”
Subscription Inquiries:
has driven brewers toward quirkier, more characterful experi- Craft Beer and Brewing Magazine
mentation. The results can be as weird as Lil Nas X making a 311 S. College Ave., Fort Collins, CO 80524
country song out of a Nine Inch Nails track. [email protected]
888-875-8708 x0
While working our way through the 350-plus beers we received
for review in this issue, it would have been easy to fall into a Customer Service:
[email protected] or
jaded, cynical mindset. Instead, we found ourselves consistently 888-875-8708 x0
surprised, delighted, and excited by the range of flavors and
approaches within the hazy IPA subset—from dry, wine-like, We invite previously unpublished manuscripts and materials,
Nelson-driven expressions to sweet, funky, dank tropical explo- but Unfiltered Media Group, LLC, accepts no responsibility for
unsolicited manuscripts and other materials submitted for
sions. Equally exciting: Today’s iterations of West Coast IPA review. The editorial team reserves the right to edit or modify
any material submitted.
are remarkably different—and better—than those that defined
Contents copyright © 2020 Unfiltered Media Group, LLC. All
the earlier part of the decade, thanks to late hop additions, rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced
in whole or in part in print or electronically without the written
novel hop choices, and new approaches to malt. The world of consent of Unfiltered Media Group, LLC. All items submitted
hop-forward beer has grown beautifully complex and flavorful. to Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine® become the sole property of
Unfiltered Media Group, LLC. The opinions and claims of the
Should IPA be the only thing we drink? Of course not. There’s contributors and advertisers in Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine®
are not necessarily those of the Publisher or Unfiltered Media
a huge world of beer out there, and it would be awfully boring if Group, LLC. Printed in the U.S.A.
we drank only one style, no matter how diverse it has grown. But
if you’re still judging IPA on what it was a couple of years ago, it’s Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine® is published by
time to give it another look. No matter where your beer love lies,
we hope you enjoy this issue. We made it for you. Unfiltered
Media Group, LLC
PHOTO: HAYDN STRAUSS

Cofounder & CEO John P. Bolton, Esq.

Unfiltered
Cofounder & CCO Jamie Bogner
Jamie Bogner
MediaStrauss
COO Haydn Group, LLC
CFO Kristi Avery
Cofounder & Editorial Director, Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine® Cofounder Stephen Koenig
[email protected], @rckstdy on Untappd

8| CRAFT BEER & BREWING UNFIL

TERED
UNFILTERED
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GROUP, LLC
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 | THE MASH |

Pandemic: Changing
the Way We Drink
In May, we polled subscribers via email to get a sense of how their beer buying and drinking has changed through the pandemic.
More than 4,200 people answered, and the results are charted below.

63.6%
60%
If you’re still finding and
trying new beers, where are
you discovering them?
Which best describes
50% your buying habits?

40%
36.6% 37.8%

30%
29.7%
25.6%
20%

10%
6.7% Breweries’ social media 29.4%
Suggestions from friends 12.1%
Before the pandemic During the pandemic Before the pandemic During the pandemic Before the pandemic During the pandemic
Untappd 6.9%
I love trying a wide I’ll take a risk on new beers I mostly buy tried-and-true Other 4.5%
assortment of beers from from breweries I trust beers I know I like. On the shelf at my local store 47%
breweries I may or may not or which are highly rated.
be familiar with.

How soon do you expect to visit an open

NO 87.8% taproom or bar to drink beer?
YES 12.2%
30% 27.3% 26.4%
25%
24.4%
20%

Since mid-March, have you 15% 11.9%

ordered any beer from a 10%
10%
third-party service or store for
direct delivery to your home? 5%
(Tavour, Beer of the Month Club, Drizly, local
store app, etc.) May June July August September or
later

How soon do you expect to

attend a beer festival? 52.3%
NO 73.6%
YES 26.4% 50%

40%

30%

20%
10% 10.3% 13.5%
4.7% 5.2% 4%
Since mid-March, have you 10%

purchased beer to-go from a July August September October November– Next year I don’t attend
restaurant or beer bar? December (or later) beer festivals

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 11
| THE MASH |

Editors’ Picks
EDITORS’ PICKS

Hops Blends
For many brewers, making a recipe is part of
the fun, and that means choosing which hops
Independence: This Yakima Chief blend
fits a more classical profile but with the dials
to mix up and throw into the kettle or fermen- turned up a notch: floral, herbal, tobacco
tor. On the other hand, there are expert hands notes, with subtler citrus and stone fruit pos-
out there who have been mixing, matching, sible. (I brewed with this myself and found it
and blending different varieties for years, be a great, earthy fit for a saison and a clean,
going for that hops gestalt that is greater than hop-forward blond ale.)
the sum of its parts. NZH-107: Another new BSG blend, this is a
Buying commercially available hops mix of New Zealand–grown hops with pro-
blends gives us a way to take advantage of nounced tropical (guava, passion fruit) and EDITORS’ PICKS
that know-how in our own breweries while
adding more variety to our options. Here are
citrus (grapefruit, lime) aroma.
Pacific Crest: This Yakima Chief proprietary Lallemand
WildBrew
some blends that have appeared in recent blend uses U.S.-grown varieties to create a
years, and what they might do for your beers: floral-spice-forward, Noble-esque profile.

Philly Sour
Aged Hop Blend: Yakima Chief Hops in Pink Boots Blend: More than 100 Pink
February announced its Aged Hops Program, Boots Society members gathered at the Great
aimed at carefully selecting and aging low- American Beer Festival last year to rub and
er-alpha hops for use in lambic-inspired wild curate this blend, said to have expressive lallemandbrewing.com
ales, to provide preservative qualities with notes of tropical, citrus, and pine. Yakima
minimal bitterness (less than 1% AA). Chief contributes the proceeds to the Pink There’s a wide spectrum of options these
Cluster Fugget: Released by Yakima Chief Boots scholarship fund, which supports train- days for making beers with varying levels
in 2019, this homebrew-exclusive blend of ing for women in the brewing industry. of acidity. Let’s consider that spectrum: On
Pacific Northwest varieties is said to have a SA Blend: Available from Yakima Valley Hops, the most challenging, complex (authen-
peppery, spicy, floral profile. this is a blend of two South African varieties: tic?) end, you might find spontaneous
HS-1228: From the BSG Hop Solutions Southern Aroma (80 percent) and Southern fermentation; on the easier, pragmatic
program, this new blend is said to balance Sublime (20 percent). The company describes (cheating?) end, you might find direct
tropical fruit—mango, pineapple—with more the profile as “very fruit-forward with sweet additions of lactic or malic acid to control
classically West Coast citrus and pine. fruits of mango, plums, and grapefruit.” tartness. Then you can imagine all kinds
Trident: From Hopsteiner, this new blend of of things out in the middle, such as ket-
Pacific Northwest–grown hops is said to be red- tle-souring or co-pitching bugs with yeast.
olent of tropical fruit (passion fruit) and citrus. As a brewer, you choose your comfort
Veterans Blend: Another of Yakima Chief’s zone; we all have different tolerances for
blends for a cause, proceeds of this one complexity, difficulty, and unpredictabili-
go to the Semper Fi Fund for ty. (Then there’s the straight-up hedonistic
injured veterans. Var- view: If it tastes good in the end, who cares
ious breweries how you did it?)
also use the So, what about these new yeast strains
blend in beers that produce lactic acid (i.e., they are not
PHOTOS FROM LEFT: JAMIE BOGNER; COURTESY LALLEMAND

whose proceeds Lactobacillus)? Where do they fit? We

go to other veter- previously wrote here about Lallemand
an charities. The Sourvisiae—a bioengineered strain of Sac-
idea is that veter- charomyces that produces enough lactic
an-owned breweries acid to bring your wort down to a pucker-
from across the ing 3.0 pH … at which point, some blending
country meet at the might be in order. (For context, Belgian
Craft Brewers Confer- oude gueuze tends to land between 3.2
ence to rub hops and and 3.4 pH.)
select their varieties. This The newest of these strains, also from
blend is said to be a mix of Lallemand, is their WildBrew Philly Sour.
citrus, tropical, and herbal It’s similar to Sourvisiae, in that it is yeast—not
aromas. —JS (continued on page 16)

12 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

| THE MASH |

EDITORS’ PICKS

Beer-
Washed
Cheeses

Caputo Brothers Creamery

Perpetual Beer Cheese
“Dry hopped” milk is the secret to
the light tropical and citrus notes
that add a curiously contemporary
twist to this beer cheese made
with Tröegs Perpetual IPA. A light
touch of bitterness comes through,
balanced by the creaminess in the
cheese, but the Citra hops shine
through with bright fruit notes.
PERFECT PAIRS

Farmhouse
Cheese & Beer
Ready to inefficiently harness the energy of the sun? These three pairings of farmhouse
ales and rustic cheeses capture the sepia-toned nostalgia of a country summer.
The Cellars at Jasper Hill
Farm Hartwell
Washed with lees (yeast and
fermentation sediment) from
Marieke Gouda enough, and all is well as long
as they’re together. Dried hay,
12 Month Comté Vermont’s Shacksbury Cider,
Hartwell has distinct umami-
Plain Mature fresh-cut grass, and the tang & Au Baron Cuvée earthy notes that play against
& Transmitter you get when you bite into a de Jonquilles the fruity tang and a bit of
Brewery S9 crisp apple—it’s all there.
—Tia Keenan, author of Melt,
Brown butter and nutty notes barnyard-style funk. It will hold
up to your mixed-fermentation
Noble Saison Stretch, & Sizzle: The Art of
in the ranging country cheese
from the French Jura offer a farmhouse ale, and then some.
A cheesemaker once told me Cooking Cheese and other sweetness that balances the
that cheese is an inefficient books, tiakeenan.com bright lactic jab. Grass and
way to harness the energy of wildflower play their part,
the sun. I love the resigned po- Jasper Hill lending an earthiness that cuts
etry of that. I mean, 2020 has
been quite a year—we need all Moses Sleeper & the richness, but at 12 months,
the resigned poetry we can Boulevard Tank 7 the cheese still holds on to
youthful irrereverence and
get (and I want to harvest the Bloomy-rind cheeses and energy that will later tame and
energy of the sun!). Transmit- saisons are a go-to match for dry with age. Au Baron’s Cuvée
ter Noble Saison with Marieke me. Jasper Hill Moses Sleeper de Jonquilles provides a light
Mature Gouda both do this from Vermont is all mush- bière de garde malty sweet-
effectively—you can taste the roomy and supple, like a great ness that rides in the same
grass, the hay, the pasture in raw-milk Camembert. Pour lane, while peppercorn spice,
both of them. They dance me a Boulevard Brewing Tank light stone fruit, honey, and
Baetje Farms
together like two sweethearts 7 alongside it, please. wildflower notes in the beer
Beer Washed Vallée
under a harvest moon: we’re —Janet Fletcher, publisher of capture a complementary This 100-percent goats’ milk
not sure where one ends and Planet Cheese and author of French countryside vibe. Reblochon-style cheese is
the other begins, but we know Cheese & Beer, janetfletcher.com —Jamie Bogner washed in Boulevard’s Whiskey
that the sun will rise soon Barrel Stout, a luxurious choice
that imparts an earthy sweetness
PHOTOS: JAMIE BOGNER

to the expected creaminess. That

touch of smoky char even evokes
a bit of bacon. Pair with an imperi-
al stout or barrel-aged barleywine
for the height of decadence. —JB

14 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

 | THE MASH |

Whalez, Bro. By Ansis Puriņš

From the darkest

depths of fermentation,
we summon the vile

Hops
Creep!

rs,
wed!

From the Jura Mountains

to your table, (WildBrew Philly Sour, cont. from p. 12)

1000 Years of
EDITORS’ PICKS bacteria—that happens to produce lactic acid. In

Craft: An this case, it’s neither Sacch nor bioengineered but

Artisanal
a species of Lachancea isolated from nature by

Argument
the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia.
How it works: The beer should finish in the

Cheesemaking
more moderate 3.2–3.5 pH range in about 10
By Pete Brown, Storm Lantern Books days; its optimal temperature range is 68–77°F
Here’s what Pete Brown did on his COVID (20–25°C). The appeal is in its simplicity: one
lockdown: He dug deeper than we think yeast to pitch, just as you would any other.
Comté Cheese Association anyone has ever dug on the meaning
of “craft” in the context of beer. The
Then you end up with, as Lallemand says,
“refreshing acidity and notes of stone fruit.” It
subtitle summarizes his findings: that is also said to produce high attenuation, high
For recipes, tips and information, visit: it’s “completely undefinable, hopelessly flocculation, and good foam stability.
www.comte-usa.com | @Comte_USA misunderstood, and absolutely essential.” I received a sample from Lallemand, and I tried
Facebook.com/ComteUSA Written in the same it recently on a 10-gallon (38-liter) batch of wheat
engaging, honest beer—essentially a Berliner weisse wort, going for
style as his other a svelte 3.5 percent ABV. I rehydrated and pitched
books, this one the Philly Sour, then gave it two weeks to ferment
mines the canon, at about 72°F (22°C). Sampling from the spigot a
creating a fun read few days before we go to press, the beer is clean
for all the pub phi- and lemony—softly tart, not sharply so. It’s simple
losophers among but delightful—a lawnmower beer in the making,
us. It won’t put an akin to a gentler kettle-sour.
end to arguments Now that I’ve kegged half the batch, I’m
about what “craft” pondering what to do with the other half, to
beer is … but maybe add some wrinkles—maybe pitch some Brett,
it should. —JS or add a load of fruit, or both—because that first
part was just too easy. —JS
16 | BEERANDBREWING.COM
CRAFT BEER & BREWING | 31
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CaptainPabst1864.com

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 17
| THE MASH |

Love Handles Great places

to drink
great beer.

The Cask De Ware Eastside

Richmond, Virginia
Enjoy a worldly beer selection with
Jacob
Antwerp, Belgium
Club Tavern
Olympia, Washington
homemade sausage at this classic bar
in a burgeoning beer town. A little off the beaten path, this beer café A classic dive bar for those who enjoy a
offers a great selection of Belgian beers. diverse and welcoming environment.
What it is: “Beer first” is how The Cask
Co-owner David Garrett describes his What it is: De Ware Jacob is a cozy, What it is: Eastside Club Tavern has been
pleasantly unpretentious pub on the edge venerable, one-room beer café in central around since 1942 and maintains the lived-in
of Richmond’s Fan District. Sixteen taps Antwerp, not far from the Cathedral or feel of a classic dive bar. It’s survived a train
of constantly rotating brews range from the waterfront, with advanced taste in ales crash, an earthquake, and the grunge era
regionals such as a Berliner weisse brewed from artisanal Belgian producers. Lots (Kurt Cobain once lived five blocks from
by Washington, D.C.’s Bluejacket to inter- of wood paneling, a couple of benches, here). The lighting is dim, the popcorn is
national classics and historical styles such mirrors, tile floors, and a nautical theme free, and the entertainment consists of pool,
as Fuller’s London Pride. There are no set the tone. It’s been years since smoking ping-pong, and good old-fashioned conversa-
permanent tap handles, so even regulars was allowed, but the ancient nicotine pati- tion. You might find a stout from AleSmith
can expect variety, and the on-site market is na is preserved for posterity. Nonintrusive or the latest hazy from Fort George on tap,
chock-full of carefully selected cans, bottles, music favors blues, jazz, and soul. but most of the 42 draft lines are dedicated to
and wines, as well as growlers ready to fill. Why it’s great: It’s a living picture ales and lagers brewed in Washington state,
Why it’s great: In a town that’s known for of a Low Countries’ brown café—old, particularly locals such as Matchless, Tricer-
certain much-hyped releases, The Cask comfortable, well-wooded, and totally atops, Top Rung, and Headless Mumby.
provides a staggeringly low-key alternative. unpretentious—exactly the kind of place Why it’s great: The best bars welcome peo-
The space is on the small side, but its cozy to settle in for a while, wallow in atmo- ple from all walks of life, and this is true of
feel, curated list, and deeply knowledgeable sphere, and get to know some of the best the Eastside: college students, civil servants,
staff make it an industry favorite. The house- beers from smaller, independent Belgian doctors, and musicians consider this their
made sausages are a particular point of producers, including newer upstarts that local. There is something comforting about
pride; anyone looking to pair a German-style have yet to blip on the international radar. the fact that little has changed in almost 80
bratwurst with a properly German pilsner Antwerp-area breweries tend to feature years, beyond collecting more beer stickers,
need look no further. After eight years help- prominently on the prolific bottle list, artwork, and dust on its breweriana. (It’s
ing to develop the city’s now-roaring beer while the five taps virtually always include also still cash only.) Plus, in the town where
scene, this old-school refuge is a welcome St. Bernardus 12 and Dupont Avec Les Olympia Brewing once proclaimed, “It’s the
PHOTOS, FROM LEFT: COURTESY THE CASK; JOE STANGE; DAVID WHITE

throwback to simpler times. —Beth Demmon Bons Voeux. —Joe Stange water,” you’ll always find cheap cans of the
namesake lager in the cooler. —Ben Keene
DETAILS DETAILS
Hours: 11:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m., Sunday– Hours: 3 p.m.–12 a.m., Tuesday–Friday; DETAILS
Wednesday; 11:00 a.m.–12:00 a.m., Thurs- 2 p.m.–1 a.m., Saturday; 2 p.m.–12 a.m., Hours: 12 p.m.–2 a.m., Monday–Friday; 1
day–Saturday Sunday; closed Monday. p.m.–2 a.m., Saturday–Sunday
Address: 206 S. Robinson St., Richmond, Address: Vlasmarkt 19, Antwerp, Belgium Address: 410 E. 4th Ave., Olympia,
Virginia Web: facebook.com/DeWareJacob/ Washington
Web: thecaskrva.com Web: theeastsideclub.com

18 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

AUTOMATED
CARBONATION + DEOX
SYSTEMS

OuantiPerm quantiperm.com
@)@quantiperm 602.903.2758
Innovation in Action [email protected]
| THE MASH: SPECIAL INGREDIENT |

As CBD has grown in popularity, so have

various products associated or infused with
it. These include hemp flowers and hemp
teas (made from hemp buds, leaves, and/
or seeds), which have varying amounts of
CBD in them. Unlike tinctures and the
like, hemp teas also have small amounts of
THC in them. The solubility might be less
of an issue here: Obviously, teas are meant
to be infused in water.
Two years ago, in central Berlin, the
BRLO brewery requested and received an
exemption from the Reinheitsgebot to pro-
duce a beer with hemp flowers. That beer,
released on April 20, 2018 (yeah, 4/20),
was called Legend Has It. This hop- and
hemp-forward “CBD-infused” pilsner was
a collaboration with Atlanta-based hip-hop

CBD
group Run the Jewels.
The technique employed by BRLO brewer
Michael Lembke and his team was simple:
Make an infusion of organic CBD hemp tea,
sourced from nearby Brandenburg, and add
it to the secondary.
“Back then, it was really pre-pre-CBD
hype in Germany,” says Katharina Kurz,
BRLO cofounder and managing director.
“The reason we didn’t use the tea before
Commercial brewers are in the earliest days of figuring out how to legally fermentation was to keep the hemp flavor.
get CBD into beer (and keep it there). For homebrewers, it presents an We also dry-hopped with Columbus to get
open, if legally vague, field of play and experimentation. that extra dankness.”
However, it’s still not clear how much
SO, YOU THOUGHT THAT last IPA you It wouldn’t be an issue for beer, except the CBD remains in suspension or winds up
made was dank. Want to get danker? TTB won’t start granting approval until in packaged beer. “We weren’t able to deter-
CBD—that is, cannabidiol, one of the FDA makes the statement.” mine the exact CBD level in the beer,” Kurz
active ingredients in cannabis—has pro- So, while commercial brewers wait for says. “I’m not sure how it is now in Germa-
liferated across North America in the past red tape to be snipped, let us state the ny, but back then it was still a grey zone to
couple of years. Its advertised benefits obvious: Homebrewers don’t need TTB use pure CBD in food or beverages.”
include relaxation without marijuana’s approval. We also share this disclaimer: For whatever it’s worth: I drank a tasty
THC high, plus a litany of reputed health Certain CBD and hemp-based products half-liter of Legend Has It at BRLO’s
benefits that are generally either unproven may contain small amounts of THC; the taproom in Berlin. Did I notice any special
or unprovable. Still, considering its grow- legality of brewing with that at home is relaxation effects? No. I was already enjoy-
ing popularity, it may seem surprising unclear, and it may depend on your state. ing the widely accepted relaxation benefits
that we haven’t seen more brewers put the Got it? (Now, please sign this release form of having had a few lagers. However, I
stuff into beer. before proceeding.) distinctly remember its lovely, herbal-dank
On a commercial level, there’s a good Let’s also get this out of the way: The hop flavor. Now I know why: Check out the
reason why not: It’s not technically legal— CBD products that don’t contain any recipe—featuring a mix of fine German
yet. The issue lies between the Alcohol and THC—such as CBD tinctures or isolates— aroma hops in the whirlpool—at right.
Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) and are not water soluble. That presents a Besides relaxation, there is another
the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). puzzle for someone brewing a product that possible benefit to consider with hemp
“Beer needs TTB approval,” says Levi is typically 95 percent water. products: their aroma. CBD flowers retain
Funk, the blender and entrepreneur behind “To make a beer or a sparkling water plenty of aromatic terpenes—hops have
Funk Factory Geuzeria and Untitled Art. [with CBD oil], you have to know how to some of them, too, and there is a reason
Under the latter brand, Funk briefly re- emulsify an oil into water,” Funk says. “This why some IPAs wind up “dank.”
leased a CBD Pilsner in early 2019—a one- is something we have spent a lot of money However, aroma is not the most obvious
off release that won’t appear again until the and time developing and the reason we have potential benefit. So, a reasonable question:
PHOTO: OPEN RANGE STOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

legal situation is clarified. (In the meantime, a full-time chemist on staff. It isn’t simply If you brew this, and you drink this, will
Untitled Art has had success with a series of emulsify and go.” Funk says that some tech- you actually feel the effects of the CBD?
fruit-flavored CBD Sparkling Waters.) niques or agents end up with a bitter plastic Honest answer: We have no idea. As
“TTB won’t grant any approval until the flavor while others stick to the fermentor with other CBD products, the opinions of
FDA finally makes a statement that CBD walls, drop out, and/or are not shelf-stable. people who have had something like this
is safe for consumption,” Funk says. “So, However, there are other options more vary quite a bit. Yes, CBD is supposed to be
even though CBD is legal, and the FDA practical to the homebrewer—if far less relaxing; it’s supposed to take the edge off.
isn’t telling people they can’t make it, the exact, and with totally unknown effective- You know what else does that? Beer.
FDA also hasn’t technically said it is safe. ness—than hiring a full-time chemist. —Joe Stange

20 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

MAKE IT
BRLO × The
Run the Jewels Rundown
Legend Has It Pils The latest stories, events, podcasts,
and more from the Craft Beer &
Brewing Magazine® team
Courtesy of the Berlin-based BRLO brewery and
Atlanta-based hip-hop group Run the Jewels,
here is a homebrew-scale recipe for their Exclusive on
unusual collab: a CBD-hemp-infused BeerandBrewing.com
hoppy pilsner. Brewing an Old-
School Mainstay:
ALL-GRAIN Schlafly Pale Ale
Here we share the recipe
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters) for Schlafly Pale Ale—a
OG: 1.048 British-inspired Midwest-
ern classic. For National
FG: 1.010 Homebrew Day this year,
IBUs: 40 Schlafly sold ingredient kits,
ABV: 5% with everything needed
to brew it, to St. Louis-area
MALT/GRAIN BILL homebrewers. They sold
8.5 lb (4.3 kg) German pils out in three hours.
9 oz (255 g) acidulated malt

HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE

0.75 oz (21 g) Hallertauer Mittelfrüh [4% AA] at Upcoming Craft Beer
60 minutes & Brewing Events
0.5 oz (14 g) Ariana [12% AA] at 60 minutes Nov 1–4 Understanding the
0.5 oz (14 g) Spalter Select [4.75% AA] at whirlpool for challenges in opening
20 minutes or aquiring a brewery is
more important than ever.
0.4 oz (11 g) Ariana [12% AA] at whirlpool for 20 minutes BREWERY Learn through panel Q&As,
WORKSHOP
0.4 oz (11 g) Hallertauer Tradition [6% AA] at whirlpool for NEW BREWERY ACCELERATOR
NOV 1-4, 2020 DENVER, COLORADO technical tours, hands-on
20 minutes demos, and more.
1.5 oz (43 g) Columbus at dry hop Breweryworkshop.com
BREWERY WORKSHOP NEW BREWERY AUG 23-26, 2020

10.6 oz (300 g) hemp tea at dry hop

ACCELERATOR DENVER, COLORADO

YEAST
2 packets Fermentis SafLager W-34/70, or other clean-
The Latest from the
fermenting lager strain Craft Beer & Brewing
Podcast
DIRECTIONS Visit beerandbrewing.com/podcasts
to listen and subscribe.
Mill the grains and mash in at 122°F (50°C). Raise the tem- Ep.131 Sensory Expert Lindsay Barr Wants
perature to 147°F (63°C) and rest 35 minutes, then raise the You to Become a Better Beer Taster
temperature to 162°F (72°C) and rest 35 minutes, then raise the Ep.132 Dino Funari of Vitamin Sea Brewing
on Creating Styles That Stand Out
temperature to 172°F (78°C) and mash out. Lauter and sparge from the Crowd
as necessary to obtain about 6.5 gallons (25 liters) of wort—or Ep.133 New Belgium’s Ross Koenigs Takes
more, depending on your evaporation rate. Boil 60 minutes, an Analytical Approach to Hops and
Cannabis
adding hops according to the schedule. After the boil, whirlpool Ep.134 Eric Wallace of Left Hand on Navigating
until the wort temperature has dropped to 190°F (88°C). Add the COVID-19 Shutdown
the whirlpool hops and continue to whirlpool for 20 minutes. Ep.135 For Noah Bissell of Bissell Brothers,
Less is Definitely More
Chill the wort to 54°F (12°C), aerate well, and pitch the yeast.
Ep.136 Societe’s Doug Constantiner on
Ferment at 54°F (12°C). After 4 days, make an infusion by Aroma-Forward West Coast IPA and a
boiling the hemp tea in enough water to cover it. Allow the Methodical Approach to Funk
Ep.137 Odell’s Brendan McGivney Believes
tea to cool, then add it (leaves and all) to the beer, along with IPA Can Always Be Better
the dry hops. When it nearly reaches terminal gravity, raise Ep.138 Jeremy Tofte of Melvin Learns from
the temperature to 57°F (14°C) for one day for a diacetyl rest. Mistakes and Focuses on Improvement
Then cool by about 2°F (1°C) per day until you reach lagering Ep.139 Andy Farrell on the Delicate Design of
Low-Cal IPAs
temperature of about 30°F (-1°C). Lager for about 2 weeks. Ep.140 Jeff Herbert of Superstition Meadery
on Envisioning and Making Best-in-
Class Craft Beverages

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 21
| STYLE SCHOOL |

Vienna
STYLE SCHOOL

Lager
This elegant beer with Austrian roots has been hiding in plain sight
pretty much everywhere except Austria. Jeff Alworth explains how
Anton Dreher’s 19th century creation is poised for a restoration.
Fire
in the
Glass
where they could be found, they used little
or none of the signature malt Dreher had
invented when he created the style.
How did we get there?
A CASUAL BEER FAN could be forgiven Vienna lagers evolved away from Austria.
for imagining that the best place to find They got makeovers—first by immigrant Anton Dreher
a style called “Vienna lager” would be— German brewers, then by American and Anton Dreher was the son of a brewer.
well, Vienna. Unlike some other beers Mexican brewers in the Industrial Age. Despite an affinity for poetry, he went
named for their hometowns—Berliner When American microbrewers first be- into the family trade as a young man,
weisse, Grodziskie—Vienna lagers are not gan to revive the style, it had been so long apprenticing at another brewery. He didn’t
especially rare. In fact, one of the best- since it was Austrian that the connection inspire much confidence in the brewer
selling American beers, Sam Adams was severed. When he created Boston there, but he made a friend in another
Boston Lager, fits broadly within the style. Lager, Jim Koch reached deep into the apprentice from another brewing family,
Nor was Vienna lager a footnote in the family archives—there are five generations Gabriel Sedlmayr of the Spaten Brewery
annals of brewing. Quite the opposite: of Koch brewers. Yet the beer he developed in Munich. The young men were ambi-
One of the world’s first pale lagers, it is made with German hops, American tious and decided to go abroad to learn
was for decades spoken of in hushed pale and caramel malt, and not a grain more about their craft—settling on a trip
tones as “liquid amber” and “fire in the of Vienna malt. I’m not aware that Koch to Britain, which at that time was the most
glass.” The man who developed it, Anton ever described Boston Lager as a Vienna advanced brewing country on Earth.
Dreher, did so by the use of a pale malt himself, but Americans looked at its amber The story of that trip, which lasted the
that also bears the city’s name—still hue and lager crispness and declared it so. better part of 1833, would make a spectac-
common today in brewing. He would go In much the same way, Great Lakes makes ular novel or miniseries. Rebuffed by other
on to build one of the largest and most its Eliot Ness with similar malts (and no breweries when they arrived in London,
technologically advanced breweries in the Vienna)—along with American hops. Dreher managed to get a job at Barclay Per-
world. For decades it was one of the most By the 1980s, Vienna lagers had come to kins long enough to study what was then
popular beers in the world. an odd place: They still flourished, but they one of the most impressive breweries in
But here two ironies emerge. could not be found in their hometown; the world. The young men then managed
An example of the style is difficult to
find in Vienna—or anywhere in Austria—
and it has been since just after World War I.
PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES/WWW.MGRAVESPHOTO.COM

Austrians drink a style of lager they call

märzen—it’s crisp, golden, and flavorful,
something like a German helles. Local
By the 1980s, Vienna lagers had come to an
breweries have started to try to revive odd place: They still flourished, but they could
“Wiener lagers” in their hometown but so
far haven’t found many takers. The style
not be found in their hometown; where they
instead flourished abroad, principally in could be found, they used little or none of the
the New World, where it became a staple
of brewing in the 19th and 20th centu-
signature malt Dreher had invented when he
ries. Yet in that second, expatriate life, created the style. How did we get there?
22 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 23
| STYLE SCHOOL |

Zooming in on Vienna to befriend Michael Thomas Bass, owner

of Burton’s equally legendary Bass Brewery,

Lager, Then & Now

and thus learned two key innovations that
they would take back home. One was the
English use of the saccharometer, which
helped them brew more consistent beer.
The second was the English practice of us-
Andreas Krenmair is publishing a new book that takes a detailed
ing indirect heat to malt barley, producing
look at the history, ingredients, and process of Vienna lager. Here
paler malts free of smoke or roast.
he shares some of what he’s learned. As told to Joe Stange It was the latter knowledge that Dreher
Andreas Krenmair is an Austrian-born homebrewer and amateur beer historian who would use to change the course of Austrian
lives in Berlin. In 2018, he self-published Historic German and Austrian Beers for the brewing. He took over the family brewery
Home Brewer, which dug deeper into German-language sources and brewing logs than in 1836, but it was old and rustic. Over
most other English-language texts had done before. This year, he follows up with a time, he would modernize it, adding a
book that digs deeper on a style more associated with his native country: Vienna Lager. wort chiller and a new English-style kiln. It
A disclosure: Andreas and I were in the same beer-geeky stammtisch in Berlin, we are
friends, and he asked me to write a foreword for the book. He also knows more about
was an ale brewery then, with no lager-
Vienna lager—especially its history, methods, and composition—than anyone else I know. ing cellars for lagering, and Dreher built
So, I had questions. production making a Scottish-type ale. (At
the time, strong pale Edinburgh ales were
CBB // What would you say are the main differences between late 19th-century
Vienna lager and the Vienna lager we might find at a typical craft brewery today? enjoying international acclaim.) Yet Dreher
wanted to make lagers, so he ultimately
AK // Nineteenth-century Vienna lager followed a very classic scheme of lager-brewing
of the period: a single type of malt, kilned to the right specifications; triple-decoction came up with a clever work-around: he
mashing, how it was originally practiced in Bavaria, then refined by Viennese brewers; found Viennese taverns with cellar space
quality hops; fermentation at low temperatures, with a yeast that produced a fairly sweet and sent his young beer there to age. In
and full-bodied beer; and long lagering periods of several months. 1841, he brewed the lager that would even-
I think the Vienna lager that craft breweries brew nowadays can be put into two catego- tually become synonymous with the city.
ries. Those developed at a time when Vienna malt was hard to get or not of the right qual-
ity—in the 1980s and 1990s—often try to imitate the typical character with specialty malts,
such as dark caramel malts. More recent beers seem to go back to the classically kilned The Original Vienna Lager
malts, often accentuated with only moderate amounts of specialty malts, if any at all. No brewing logs exist from Dreher’s day.
Both categories have in common that they typically use infusion mashing, either The modern Schwechat brewery, south-
single-step or multistep, and, of course, brewers nowadays have much better- east of Vienna and now owned by Heinek-
attenuating lager yeasts that produce drier beer at a quicker turnaround. Some en, has a few assorted logs; the oldest
craft breweries still choose to use typical Continental hop varieties, while others
dates to 1894. They’re thrilling to see. The
put their spin on Vienna lager by brewing it with more fruity New World hops.
ingredients are remarkably simple. They
CBB // How close is today’s widely available Vienna malt to what Anton Dreher
were brewing two versions of the same
and his contemporaries were malting, based on the information available?
beer, and both with a single malt—that
AK // Ultimately, this is hard to determine. The state-of-the-art kilns in the late 19th
and early 20th centuries were two-floor, hot-air kilns. Up to the 1880s, some of
pale malt that came to be called Vienna.
these kilns had issues with extracting hot air well enough—and most importantly, (In the weaker of the two beers, an infin-
extracting moisture quickly enough. Increased humidity promotes the formation itesimal amount of farbmalz, color malt,
of melanoidin at higher kilning temperatures. was used to make the beers a consistent
The same historic sources that talk about these issues also describe the final color.) The logs don’t specify the hop vari-
kilning (or curing) at temperatures lower (167–189°F/75–87°C) than what modern eties, but the innovative Dreher purchased
Vienna malt would be cured at (194–203°F/90–95°C). On the other hand, we have
reports from Anton Dreher’s second brewery in Hungary that the malt was dried
hop fields near Žatec in Bohemia. He did
with final temperatures from 176–200°F (80–93°C). Not all malt was cured at the this to protect his supply of Saaz, a variety
same temperature. For the regular lager beer, it was cured at a lower temperature as prized then as it is today.
(176°F/80°C); for the märzen at 185°F (85°C), while for stronger beer, the temperature In the fashion of old logbooks, details on
was as high as 196–200°F (91–93°C). process are lacking. However, decoction
When we look at the color of beers from around the same time period, Vienna lager mashing was the standard in the 19th
seems to have been slightly paler than what we’d expect from Vienna lager nowadays—
roughly between 4 to 6 SRM (about 8 to 12 EBC)—which was still a bit darker than pale Bo-
century, and descriptions of the Schwechat
hemian lagers at the time, which were typically between 2.7 and 3.7 SRM. Very generally brewery from the 1870s confirm that was
speaking, Vienna malt has been described as being “in between” the very pale Bohemian their approach. According to contemporary
(pilsner) malt and the darker Bavarian (Munich) malt. The same goes for Vienna lager accounts, the beer was fermented cold for
being slightly bitter and malt-aromatic, as opposed to the highly hopped, very pale, and a lager—no warmer than 44°F (7°C)—and
dry Bohemian lagers and the much maltier, sweeter, and less bitter Bavarian dark lagers. lagered for often incredible spans of two
The raw materials have, of course, changed in the past 150 years. Maltings use
different barley varieties than back in the day, and, of course, malting technology has
months to more than a year. The brewery
been improved and rationalized as well. So I would say that while there probably is was proud of the long lagering times and
some difference, the general character of the malt has still been preserved, and even touted them in advertisements.
old descriptions of the look, aroma, and flavor of Vienna malt and Vienna lager still It was a remarkably simple beer: Vienna
seem to match the modern product. malt, Saaz hops, decoction mashing, and
CBB // From a hedonistic perspective, what do you look for in a really great one? long lagering times. It closely resembles the
AK // The ideal Vienna lager for me would be a beer that I could drink all eve- Bavarian and Bohemian lagers, its nearest
ning—a true session beer. It doesn’t need to have a lot of alcohol, but it should be cousins, but the key distinctive element is
full-bodied and have enough malt character that can stand on its own and should clearly the malt. Darker and fuller than their
also be balanced out with a firm bitterness. I prefer it more bitter than how most Bohemian counterparts, yet much lighter
examples are brewed.
than the darker beers of Munich.

24 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

The Second Revival?
In 2016, on the 175th anniversary of Dre- MAKE IT
Traditional 1870s
her’s first brew, the Schwechat brewery
decided to reintroduce Wiener Lager.
Brewmaster Andreas Urban experiment-
ed with different malt bills, settling on
a 60 percent Vienna, 40 percent pilsner
split. Even that ratio renders a deep amber
Vienna Lager
Andreas Krenmair, author of Historic German and Austrian Beer for the Homebrew-
beer with real mouthfeel and depth. The er, has spent the past couple of years researching and writing his upcoming book,
hops are stiff but not insistent, offering Vienna Lager. What follows is a traditional recipe adapted from his new book. The
a soft herbal counterpoint to the malts. recipe is a reconstruction of Vienna lager according to the historic specifications and
It’s an impressive beer. Other Austrian brewing-process descriptions from the 1870s and 1880s—however, in the Brewer’s
breweries have begun to experiment with Notes below, we describe a variation based on more modern methods.
the style as well, all leaning into their Krenmair’s recipe includes ranges of temperatures or times to account for differ-
native malt. The formulations vary, as do ences in the historical records. We include those ranges here; feel free to choose
the hopping levels, but the breweries are more specific targets, or just aim for the middle.
shooting for rich, robust beers that are
authentic heirs to Dreher’s original.
ALL-GRAIN
In the United States, Vienna malt has
been working its way back into Vienna
lagers. Brewers familiar with Dreher’s story Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters) HOPS SCHEDULE
and his beer are pushing Vienna malt lev- Brewhouse efficiency: 75% 0.9 oz (25 g) Saaz [3% AA] at 120 minutes
els higher and higher; a few bold breweries OG: 1.054 1.8 oz (51 g) Saaz [3% AA] at 75 minutes
have even chanced all-Vienna examples. If FG: 1.018
Samuel Adams and Great Lakes seemed IBUs: 28 YEAST
robust to an earlier generation of drinkers, ABV: 4.7% White Labs WLP820
these newer (or is it older?) examples are Oktoberfest/Märzen
pushing the envelope for the current one. MALT/GRAIN BILL
When he was searching for a descrip- 10 lb (4.5 kg) Vienna malt
tion of Dreher’s original Wiener lager,
Urban came across the phrase, “fire in the DIRECTIONS
glass.” It was clearly written by someone Mill the grains and mash in at about 97–100°F
inspired by the romance of this famous (36–38°C).
beer at a time when it inspired such ardor. First decoction: Pull about one-third of the mash from
If breweries start making examples that the thickest part, bring it to 158–167°F (70–75°C), and
stir people to that kind of poetry, Vienna rest there for 10–35 minutes. Bring the decoction to
lagers may be ripe for a third revival—or a boil, boil it for 5–15 minutes, then return it to the
perhaps even a restoration. main mash, which should rise to a temperature of
113–122°F (45–50°C). Rest for 5–10 minutes.
Second decoction: Again, pull a thick one-third
of the mash, bring it to a boil, and boil it for 20–50
minutes. Return it to the main mash, which should then
rise to 140–149°F (60–65°C).
Third decoction: Pull 40 to 50 percent of the mash, but this time
from the thinner, more liquid portion. Boil it until the protein
coagulates and a hot break forms and settles, then return it to the main
mash, which should rise to about 167°F (75°C). Lauter and sparge to get
about 7 gallons (26 liters) of wort, or more, depending on your rate of evaporation.
Boil for 2 hours, following the hops schedule. After the boil, chill the wort to 50°F
(10°C), aerate, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 50–54°F (10–12°C) until it reaches final grav-
ity, about 2 or 3 weeks. Gradually lower the temperature by 2–3°F (1°C) per 12 hours until
it reaches 34°F (1°C), lager there for 4–6 weeks, then bottle or keg and carbonate.

BREWER’S NOTES
In his book, Krenmair includes a version of this recipe more tailored to modern
ingredients and methods. These are the main differences:
▪ T here are two decoctions instead of three.
▪ For the first decoction, pull a thick two-thirds of the mash, instead of one-third,
with a 20-minute rest at 158–162°F (70–72°C), then boil for 10 minutes before
returning it to the main mash, which should bring it to about 149°F (65°C).
▪ Boil for 90 minutes instead of two hours, adding all 2.7 oz (76 g) of hops at the
start of the boil.

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 25
AUSTIN BEERWORKS DESCHUTES | STYLE SCHOOL |
EDITORS’ PICKS

Vienna Lager
A great Vienna lager exhibits malt and
hop character balanced by restraint and
supreme drinkability. If lager is the ultimate
“brewer’s beer,” is Vienna the ultimate
brewer’s lager? Here are five that we love.

Grains of Wrath
Great Breweries Know the Value Vienna Lager
Bright amber-tinted gold, redolent of light, sweet, wet
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impression from the nose and body. Flavorful but elegant,
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EPOXY ■ POLYESTER ■ URETHANES mellow hop bitterness, all culminating in a clean, dry finish
SERVING THE BEER, WINE & FOOD and just an echo of toasted brioche. Demands large gulps.
INDUSTRIES SINCE 1971 ABV: 5.1% Loc: Chicago, Illinois

Starr Hill Jomo

Wafts of nut bread, a stripe of molasses, and a light touch
of earthy tobacco-hop. Medium-bodied, feeling weighty, with
flavor-dials turned up a half-notch: light-honey-sweetness
hugs moderate bitterness, landing just off-dry, trading a bit
of digestibility for oomph. Has earned five GABF medals over
the years, including a second gold in 2019.
ABV: 4.6% Loc: Crozet, Virginia

pFriem Family
Vienna Lager
pFriem’s lager credentials are impeccable, and the Vienna
follows in that fine tradition, riding the impossible line
between dry and sweet, crisp and warming. A deft study in
contrasts, it manages to embody both, with toasty bready
malt providing an endearing and rich flavor that never strays
into “sweet” territory.
ABV: 5.3% Location: Hood River, Oregon

August Schell
Firebrick
Years ago at a beer festival in the upper Midwest, we asked
Stan Hieronymus about a “don’t miss” beer at the fest, and
despite the otherwise hyped beers there, he pointed us toward
this classic from one of America’s oldest indepedent breweries.
It continues to hold up, today, with malt-forward approach that
remains light and drinkable despite its complexity.
ABV: 4.8% Location: New Ulm, Minnesota

26 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

ENGINEERED YEAST. WILD FLAVORS.
| MAKE YOUR BEST |

HOMEBREWING MAKE IT

Make Winterhausen
ESB
Your Best…
Going beyond the simple question of “what” and instead
ALL-GRAIN

Batch size: OG: 1.051

exploring the “why” will help you understand how to 5 gallons (19 liters) FG: 1.012
design and brew better beers. By Josh Weikert Brewhouse IBUs: 35
efficiency: 75% ABV: 5.1%

Extra Special Bitter MALT/GRAIN BILL

8 lb (3.6 kg) Maris Otter
8 oz (227 g) British Crystal (45L)
Let’s talk about the Cadillac of English pale ales—Extra Special Bitter, 8 oz (227 g) British Crystal (65L)
or ESB. This is one of my favorite styles, and when I want to know
whether a brewery is on the right track, it’s one of the “acid-test” beers HOPS SCHEDULE
that I taste to find out. 1 oz (28 g) East Kent Goldings [5.4% AA]
Style: Some people (this guy) often get into fights over what is and at 60 minutes
isn’t an ESB. On the one hand, it’s simply another English pale ale—it 0.75 oz (21 g) East Kent Goldings [5.4% AA]
just happens to be stronger and may have more malt flavor. Others at 30 minutes
contend that ESB as a style is now and forever tied to the eponymous 0.75 oz (21 g) East Kent Goldings [5.4% AA]
Fuller’s version, with its higher ABV, richer and fruitier flavor, and at 10 minutes
stronger hops presence. I’m not going to get into it, but suffice to say 0.5 oz (14 g) East Kent Goldings at flame-out
that most of what we consider “ESB” is not in the Fuller’s vein, for
better or worse. ESB is distinctly English though, with significant malt YEAST
complexity (usually of the paler variety), a fairly high IBU-to-gravity Wyeast 1968 London ESB
ratio, English aroma hops, and British ale yeast. It also benefits from
some “water awareness,” as many examples have not only high-ish DIRECTIONS
bittering but a flinty character that accentuates the bitterness. Mash the grains at 152°F (67°C) for 60 min-
Ingredients: This is a simple recipe, and the key is getting good, utes. Vorlauf until the runnings are clear,
authentic ingredients. Thomas Fawcett all the way for me on the grist. then run off into the kettle. Sparge and top
In lighter bitters, I generally go with the Fawcett 45L and Victory, but up as necessary to obtain 6 gallons (23 liters)
here I want the richness to come through, not just the toast, so I use of wort. Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops
Fawcett 65L instead of Victory. You may also hear, on occasion, that according to the schedule.
you should add Lyle’s Golden Syrup or other After the boil, chill the wort to slightly
invert sugars to your ESBs; I won’t tell you below fermentation temperature, about 66°F
not to, but I’ll say that I’ve experimented (19°C). Aerate the wort with pure oxygen
with them and never noticed a difference. or filtered air and pitch the yeast. Ferment
Hops are East Kent Goldings, with enough at 68°F (20°C) for 5 days, then allow the
added late to stand out in the aroma. temperature to rise to 70°F (21°C) through the
Yeast is straightforward here: London end of primary fermentation. Crash the beer
ESB. In my other bitter recipes, I prefer the to 35°F (2°C), then bottle or keg the beer and
rock-steady London III, but this one is bet- carbonate to just under 2 volumes of CO2.
ter with just a bit of butterscotch, and the
berry, pear, and citrus esters you get from TIPS FOR SUCCESS
a slightly warm, don’t-worry-about-diacetyl, If your water is a bit soft, consider a 0.25
fermentation are outstanding. tsp addition of gypsum to the mash—this
Process: This beer is made in the fermentor. will brighten the flavor and crisp up the hop
The mash and boil are nothing unusual—but bitterness, both key features of the style.
if your water is on the softer side, bump up
your sulfates until they balance your chloride. EXTRACT VERSION
Fermentation temperature is key. You want Replace the grains with 6.6 lb (3 kg) of light
the esters, and a bit of diacetyl can be nice here, dry malt extract (DME) and 5 oz (142 g) each
PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES/MGRAVESPHOTO.COM

but you don’t want a butter bomb. of British Crystal 45L and 65L. Steep the
This isn’t Fuller’s, but it’s a solid version grains at 160°F (71°C) for 30 minutes, then re-
that offers the kinds of flavors you’d find at move the bag and allow to drain into the wort.
pubs across England on any given day. This is Add the DME while stirring and stir until
a showcase of English malt and hops, pouring completely dissolved. Top up as necessary to
a brilliant jewel-like orange color. Bonus: If it obtain 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort. Bring to a
comes out all right, it’s a great sign that your boil and continue as above.
home brewery is on the right track.

28 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

| MAKE YOUR BEST |

MAKE IT
You’re Not Irish
Irish Red Ale Red Ale
ALL-GRAIN
You don’t need to be Irish to make a great Irish red ale. Mine, fit-
tingly, goes by the name You’re Not Irish Red, and the keys to it are a Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
specific malt addition and the yeast. Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
Style: Irish red shares some terrain with its cousin, Scottish ale, across OG: 1.056
the Irish Sea: both are malt-oriented, both are easy-drinking, both tend FG: 1.015
to be low-alcohol and low in bitterness, and both feature some caramel IBUs: 23
notes. Irish red, though, flirts with the higher end of all these character- ABV: 5.6%
istics, so the key feature is balance. We want all those flavors (base malt,
caramel, roast, bitterness) to be perceptible, but with none of it pushing MALT/GRAIN BILL
too much to the foreground. It can be a tough needle to thread, and I’ve 9 lb (4.1 kg) Maris Otter
drunk (and made, as I was working toward my recipe) more than my 8 oz (227 g) British Crystal (45L)
share of overly watery, heavy, or roasty Irish reds. 8 oz (227 g) British Crystal (120L)
Ingredients: There are two key elements to my recipe, but the rest 6.4 oz (181 g) chocolate rye
you can play with a bit. In many ways it’s a straight-up British Isles
grist. For the most part, you can tinker with it. However, there are two HOPS SCHEDULE
aspects that you don’t want to mess with when working with this style. 0.5 oz (14 g) Nugget [12% AA] at 60 minutes
One important element is the use of chocolate malt, which adds
some color and just a touch of drying roast. That said, here’s the YEAST
thing: you don’t actually want the beer to taste roasty, you just want Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale/White Labs WLP004
it to feel roasty—and you can drive yourself crazy trying to find the Irish Ale
right malt and right amount of it. I address this with low-Lovibond
chocolate—but even pale chocolate malts seem to generate those DIRECTIONS
chocolate/coffee flavors that I don’t want (and that judges have Mash the grains at 152°F (67°C) for 60 min-
noted as too strong). The answer I found was an addition of about utes. Vorlauf until the runnings are clear, then
4 percent chocolate rye malt. It’s run off into the kettle. Sparge and top up as
kilned to a lower Lovibond than just necessary to obtain 6 gallons (23 liters) of wort.
about any chocolate malt, so you’re Boil for 60 minutes, adding hops according to
getting some higher-crystal grains the schedule.
in addition to the genuine choco- After the boil, chill the wort to slightly below
late-roasted kernels. Also, rye has fermentation temperature, about 62°F (17°C).
a slightly different flavor, more like Aerate the wort with pure oxygen or filtered air
milk chocolate (plus some spice) and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 63°F (17°C) for
than dark chocolate. Once I started 5 days, then allow the temperature to rise to
using it, the “too much roast” com- 68°F (20°C) until the end of primary fermen-
ments from judges went away, and tation. At that point, crash to 35°F (2°C), then
the scores went up. bottle or keg and carbonate to about 2 volumes
The other vital component is the of CO2.
Irish ale yeast (I go with Wyeast 1084
Irish Ale/White Labs WLP004 Irish EXTRACT VERSION
Ale yeast) and how you use it. Replace the grains with 7.2 lb (3.3 kg) of light
Process: You want to treat this beer dry malt extract DME), 6.5 oz (184 g) each of
more like a hybrid than an ale—rela- British Crystal 45L and 120L, and 5 oz (142 g)
tively cool fermentation followed by a of chocolate rye. Steep the grains at 160°F
diacetyl rest. This will promote attenu- (71°C) for 30 minutes, then remove the bag
ation and help to avoid a heavy or sweet and allow to drain into the wort. Add the DME
profile. I also find that undershooting on while stirring and stir until completely dis-
carbonation helps showcase the softness solved. Top up as necessary to obtain 6 gallons
of the malts. (23 liters) of wort. Bring to a boil and continue
I may not be Irish, but I make a pretty as above.
solid Irish red. If you’re looking for a
great “utility” beer that almost anyone
can drink and appreciate at almost any
time of year, this is a winner. Avoid the
temptation to go too big, too loud, or
too far with any of the flavors—save
that excess for the partying on St.
Patrick’s Day.

30 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

| EXTRACT BREWING |

MAKE IT

Jester’s
Mintegranate
Sour
This is a great introduction to kettle sours.

Quick
NO RESTS FOR THE WICKED A mild, refreshing mint addition comple-
ments the fruit and acidity.

EXTRACT

Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)

Souring
Brewhouse efficiency: 72%
OG: 1.046
FG: 1.011
IBUs: 8
ABV: 4.5%

MALT/GRAIN BILL
6 lb (2.7 kg) wheat dry malt extract (DME)
In further exploring how to extract the most character out HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
of extract brewing, Jester Goldman turns his attention to kettle sours. 0.5 oz (14 g) Perle [8% AA] at 20 minutes
0.75 oz (21 g) fresh mint leaves, crushed,
I LOVE HOW BEER and brewing just keep evolving. A few basic at 20 minutes
choices spawn a rainbow of beer styles to fit every taste. Then, 8 fl oz (237 ml) pomegranate concentrate
certain exotic flavors with maybe one or two examples expand like at flame-out
the rare-elements section of the periodic table.
Sour beers are a case in point. Once they were mainly represented YEAST
by Belgian lambic, Berliner weisse, and sanitation errors. Except for White Labs WLP 693 Lactobacillus
that last one, they were not particularly easy to brew at home. plantarum or similar, pre-boil
To tackle a lambic-style beer, you’d have to find or cultivate a list SafAle US-05 American Ale
of special bugs to infect your wort, and you probably ought to have
a wooden barrel, if only for the ambiance. The Berliner path was DIRECTIONS
somewhat less daunting, but its character was more simplistic Dissolve the wheat DME in 5.75 gallons (21.8
than its Belgian cousin. Brewers exploring this corner of the beer liters) of water. Check the pH and add lactic
world eventually popularized the technique of kettle souring. In or malic acid as necessary to bring it down
turn, that helped lead to the revival of gose, whose brackish wheat to 4.0–4.3. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes to
base has become a pliable foundation for a multitude of spiced sanitize the wort, then chill to about 110°F
and fruited specialty beers. These days, the average bottle shop is (43°C). Pitch the Lactobacillus and seal the ket-
well stocked with beers based on those methods, even when they tle, covering with plastic wrap and lid. Hold
don’t bother to reference either of those styles. the wort between 95–113°F (35–45°C) for 24
This explosion of “quick sours” may seem to be a fresh fashion, hours. Once the wort is soured, unseal the
veering away from the mainstream, but these light, tart bever- kettle, and bring it to a boil. Add the hops and
ages are not a completely new trend. Traditional citrus-based crushed mint, and boil for 20 minutes. After
beer mixes such as shandy, radler, or michelada have long been the boil, stir in the pomegranate concentrate,
perfect for summer refreshment. The new element is how brew- and chill the wort to about 65°F (18°C). Once
ers have expanded beyond a mild, simple, sour flavor into a wild cool, aerate the wort and pitch the ale yeast.
spectrum of combinations. Ferment at about 65–70°F (18–21°C).
With so many interesting choices on the shelves, why bother
brewing your own? For that matter, you could even blend your BREWER’S NOTES
own beers with whichever flavorings you choose. The obvious One of the most challenging parts of brewing
PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES/MGRAVESPHOTO.COM

answer is the joy of brewing, but the relative simplicity of the a kettle sour is controlling the temperature
kettle-souring process makes it easy to try. during the souring stage. At the very least,
you should insulate your kettle with a blan-
Quick-Sour Basics ket. If you don’t have a heating blanket, con-
There are three main techniques to introduce acidity into your beer. sider putting a 25- to 40-watt incandescent
All three are fairly straightforward and will give you the tartness you bulb under the blanket to help keep it warm.
seek; the best choice depends on your brewing skills and preferences.
The easiest way is to simply add lactic acid to the wort or fin-
ished beer. This provides absolute control of the acidity because

32 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

CRAFTBEERANDBREWING.COM | 33
 | EXTRACT BREWING |

you can taste-test drop by drop if you’d Given the trade-offs, let’s go forward to more standard pitchable forms. Like
like. Plus, there’s very little chance of an with a natural Lactobacillus culture pitched yeast, these can be liquid or dry cultures.
outside infection. The main drawback into an extract-based wort. We’ll get the (Any will work well, but in our recipe, I
is that it’s likely to produce a simpler, most interesting character that way, and go with White Labs WLP693 Lactobacillus
less nuanced sour character (and, some it’s well within the skills of any experi- plantarum.) Once the wort is inoculated,
might argue, it’s cheating). The other two enced homebrewer. the bacteria need time to do their work
approaches rely on pitching a living Lac- without any competition. If you have a
tobacillus culture and letting it naturally Acidifying the Wort kegging setup—and thus CO2 on hand—I
produce the acid. Here’s the basic process: recommend adding a blanket of CO2 to
All-grain brewers have the option of the kettle headspace before sealing the
getting a good, assertive bite by adding the Prepare the wort. critters in safely. Either way, cover the top
Lactobacillus directly to the mash. To do it, Besides the normal step of dissolving the dry of the kettle with plastic wrap and then
they just run through their normal mash malt extract (DME) in hot water, we’ll also put on the lid.
schedule, then cool it down to a safe range want to lower the pH—to between 4.0 and
before adding the bacteria. After letting it 4.3—using a little lactic or malic acid. Once Walk away for a while.
sit for a day or more, they move forward that’s ready, boil the wort for 10 minutes to Once everything is sealed, it’s a waiting
with sparging and boiling. eliminate any competing bacteria or wild game while we hold the kettle within
Good news for extract brewers: The yeast, then cool it to the right temperature the optimal temperature range for the
other alternative is to add Lactobacillus to for the Lacto culture (roughly 95–113°F/35– Lactobacillus. The souring process can
the wort. In this case, it doesn’t matter 45°C). It’s also important to understand that take anywhere from several hours to two
whether the wort came from extract or hops inhibit the lactic-acid production of or three days, and brewers will often pull
your mash tun. Lactobacillus, so any hops additions should samples along the way to check wheth-
These approaches with Lactobacillus will wait until the second boil, after souring. er the pH has hit their target (usually
give you some acid and reasonable control 2.7–3.0). Once you’ve got experience with
over it, and the culture will also produce Inoculate the wort. a couple of quick sours, you can do more
other esters with subtle flavors such as gera- There are a number of sources for frequent checks, but I recommend a sim-
nium, raspberry, or woody notes. Lactobacillus, from active-culture yogurt pler approach for your first one: Just let it

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 This explosion of “quick sours” may seem to be
sit for a full day, then go with whatever the a fresh fashion, veering away from the main-
Lacto gods have bestowed upon you.
stream, but these light, tart beverages are not a
Flame on. completely new trend. The new element is how
Once the Lactobacillus is done, your brew-
ing process is back on familiar ground.
brewers have expanded beyond a mild, simple,
Start your boil as if it were a regular batch sour flavor into a wild spectrum of combinations.
of beer. The boil will kill off the bacteria, but
the lactic acid will remain. As I mentioned
before, if your recipe calls for hops, you can
add them now, when they won’t hurt the
Lactobacillus. Post-boil, chill down the wort here, we’ll end up with something like a selected. You might even want to try out
as usual and pitch your yeast. Don’t be sur- kettle-soured Berliner weisse, but a big part the combinations beforehand, just as
prised if the fermentation is a bit sluggish; of the fun is exercising the creativity to find finger food or flavored juice. Something
the yeast won’t be quite as happy in their something more unique. that seemed like a good idea on paper
low-pH home. That’s why you should use a That immediately suggests exploring might not pan out. Most importantly,
fairly strong yeast strain with a good starter. fruits and spices. Any tart fruit would keep in mind that fruit is fairly forgiving,
play nicely with a kettle sour, so berries but spices are easy to overdo; restraint is
Battle Plan and tropical fruits are all on point. While paramount. Similarly, if we’re building up
Now that you have the basics of kettle sour- it’s not a fruit, hibiscus flower is another a good fruit-spice combo, we need to be
ing, consider the specifics of your beer. As fruity flavor that works well in these beers. light-handed with our hopping, too.
I mentioned, these beers are often derived I recommend that you limit yourself to For our recipe, I decided on a pome-
from Berliner weisse or gose, but let’s just one or two items. If you try to combine granate-mint combo. Perle hops have a
aim for something light and refreshing too many fruits, it can turn out muddled, light spicy character that I think would fit
with a wheat-beer base. We don’t want a lot like an amorphous fruit salad. nicely, but Saaz would also work well. Like
of distraction from specialty malts, so we’ll When it comes to spices, consider many sour beers, the focus will be on a
use a simple wheat-malt extract. If we stop what would play well with the fruits you light hop flavor, not bitterness.

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| PICK SIX |

Bell’s Expedition Stout

Bell’s Brewery (Kalamazoo, Michigan)
“The first craft beers that really caught
PICK 6

Nostalgia
my attention as a consumer were some
higher-octane, bigger, and richer beers. I
remember loving Scotch ales and
doppelbocks—interestingly, those
are styles that I really don’t gravi-
tate toward anymore—but it was
the big, obvious, and sweet fla-

Pack
vors of these beers that opened
up this new world to me. I grew up in
Michigan, so Founders and Bell’s were the
breweries I had most access to, and Bell’s
Expedition Stout stood out. I still remember
the crazy layers of flavor—red currant, rum,
dark chocolate, raisin, black pepper, smoke,
vanilla—and remember being amazed that
Like many beer enthusiasts who came of age in the late ’90s and early a single beer could hold so much.”
’00s, Breakside’s Ben Edmunds’ first craft loves were strong and malty.
In this six-pack of beers that played key roles in his own experiences, New Belgium Biere de Mars
Edmunds recounts the pivotal points where specific beers broadened New Belgium Brewing (Fort Collins, Colorado)
his idea of what beer could be. As told to Jamie Bogner “I moved to Colorado in 2004 to teach
high school in a small mountain town,
THERE’S NOT A SINGLE rubric for brew- land, Oregon, since its launch in 2010. Over and it was there that my interest in beer
ers who build a 6-pack for this column—all that time, they’ve earned the respect of peers, became obsessive. The beer scene in
have the leeway to develop their own set including two dozen medals earned at the Colorado was amazing—I dove deep into
of criteria, as well as the list itself. Ben Great American Beer Festival and World homebrewing at the time. That was also
Edmunds of Breakside Brewery chose to Beer Cup. Those medals have spanned a va- where I developed a love and respect for
ILLUSTRATION: JAMIE BOGNER

focus on six that broadened his vision of riety of profiles—from English and German the Great American Beer Festival—I went
beer in the pre-Breakside era of 1999–2010, styles to American sours and IPAs. as a consumer for the first time in 2005,
with one exception at the end. In his own However, for Edmunds, the jumping-off and I’ve only missed it twice since then.
words, “Definitely a nostalgia pack for me.” point for his enthusiasm was big, malty, “Colorado’s beers were really high quality,
Edmunds, for those less familiar, has strong beers; interest in hop-forward ones and no one was pushing boundaries—es-
helmed the brewing at Breakside in Port- was a later development. pecially in terms of mixed-fermentation

36 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

 | PICK SIX |

beer—the way New Belgium was. This would suggest

slot just as easily could go to La Folie that we wanted
or Le Terroir, but to this day, I think it’s helles, but after
amazing, yet crazy, that New Belgium some cajoling,
bottled a bière de garde with lemon peel she or he would
and Brettanomyces and put it in 6-packs Listen Up! bring bottles of
for wide distribution. When you talk For more on Ben Pils over. Fresh
about a brewery that is willing to push Edmunds’ approach Augustiner Pils is
the conversation forward, releasing that to optimizing for a revelation—flo-
beer was a bold move. The beer was “pleasantness” in ral, soft, hop-
brewing, listen to
absolutely beautiful, too, and I probably Craft Beer & Brewing forward, lightly
bought more of those 6-packs than any- Magazine® podcast malty. I still think
one in central Colorado.” episode 126. it is a beautiful
beerandbrewing iteration of pil-
Odell IPA .com/podcasts sner that is much
Odell Brewing (Fort Collins, Colorado) more focused on
“Odell released their IPA in 2007, just hop flavor than bitterness. This was the
before I left Colorado. I was not a huge beer that really turned me on to great

Listen
IPA fan at the time—definitely more lager, and Breakside Pilsner is absolutely
into sour beers, stouts, Belgian styles, built in its shadow.”
and stronger ales—and I think part of
that was that there weren’t a ton of great Barley Brown’s Hand
Truck Pale Ale

In !
contemporary IPAs on the market in
Colorado at the time (at least not ones Barley Brown’s (Baker City, Oregon)
that were widely available). I had had the “Tyler Brown is the godfather of
Pizza Port and Russian River beers at Northwest IPAs. Many of the brewers I
GABF and when traveling to the West know who love hop-forward West Coast

To The
Coast, and when Odell IPA came on the beers point to Tyler, along with the
market, it was a game changer. It was the folks who’ve brewed for him (Shawn

Craft Beer &

first Colorado-brewed IPA to have the ar- Kelso, Marks Lanham, Eli Dickison, Add
omatic intensity and balanced bitterness Collard) as a major inspiration. When

Brewing
that the best San Diego and NorCal Breakside was the new kid on the block
versions had. It was the first IPA that I and no one knew us, Shawn and Tyler

Podcast
could drink regularly that really opened were so kind and willing to share knowl-
my mind to the potential of hops.” edge. I remember having some of their
beers and being amazed at how smooth,
editors Deschutes Fresh Hop
Get an earful as the CB&B rich, and full of hop and malt flavor they
g vo ices in the Mirror Pond Pale Ale
talk shop with leadin ly
were. There’s a beautiful purity to their
try on the we ek Deschutes Brewery (Bend, Oregon) beers, and Hand Truck has always been
brewing indus as t.
& Br ew ing Po dc “I moved to Portland in 2008 with the a favorite of mine. When we were get-
Craft Beer po d
orite
Available on all your fav
goal of making the leap into the beer ting our sea legs under us as a brewery,
via the We b at the industry. Shortly after I moved, hop that was the sort of beer that we held up
platforms, or listen r mi ss
ribe an d ne ve harvest began, and in the Northwest that as the gold standard for what we wanted
link below. Subsc means that it is fresh-hop beer season. to make one day.”
an episode! My only exposure to fresh-hop beers
to that point had been Great Divide’s
bottled Fresh Hop Pale, but that fall was
Listen and subscribe my first real exposure to a wide range
of fresh-hop beers. I remember visiting
to the Craft Beer Deschutes’ (then new) Pearl District
& Brewing Podcast at brewpub and having an imperial pint of
fresh-hop Mirror Pond, made with Or-
beerand egon-grown Cascades, and sensing that
brewing.com/ I had made a smart choice in moving to
the Northwest.”
podcasts Augustiner Pils
Augustiner Bräu (Munich, Germany)
PHOTO: COURTESY BREAKSIDE BREWING

“I did the diploma program at Siebel,

SPONSORED BY: which included studying in Munich and
traveling to some of the great breweries
of Germany, Belgium, and Austria.
Even though Munich is a helles city, my
friends and I would order Pils at the
Augustiner stuben. Invariably, the server

38 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

| COOKING WITH BEER |

The Hop
COOKING WITH BEER

Spice Market
Cooking with IPA presents a particular challenge—namely, how to
employ that bitterness without overwhelming the dish—but with a
mouthfeel. The hops are the star of the
beer, and it’s generally designed with lower
careful hand, it can add just the right bit of spice. From the minds and bitterness than traditional IPAs. The sub-
kitchens of Justin Wright and Justin Kruger, the Two Fat Justins. stantial amount of hops used still bring a lot
of bitterness to the beer, though it’s hidden
Hazy IPA Roasted er the bowl with plastic film, and place on under massive tropical notes and big, sweet
the bottom shelf of the fridge until ready to body. Great examples include WeldWerks
Chicken with Charred- cook (4–24 hours). Twenty minutes before Juicy Bits, Tree House Julius, Hill Farm-
Corn Salad cooking, preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C). stead Susan, and Trillium Melcher Street.
Remove the chicken from brine and What the Beer Does for the Dish:
place on a plate lined with paper towels. New England–style IPA is a challenging
Serves: 2–3 Pat until dry. Place the orange and rose- ingredient, because the heat burns off the
mary in the cavity and season the outside more volatile tropical-fruit aromas, and it
BRINE of the chicken with cracked pepper. highlights the bitterness hidden beneath
12 oz (355 ml) hazy IPA Place the chicken on a rack over a roasting the layers of residual sweetness. However,
1 sprig fresh rosemary pan or over a bed of sliced onions in a brining the chicken with the beer helps
2 lemons, halved roasting pan, as this will allow the chicken to alleviate that issue, infusing those desirable
2 Tbs kosher salt roast more evenly. Roast for 45 minutes to an tropical notes into the meat while provid-
1 Tbs sugar hour. Check the temperature of the chicken ing a subtle layer of bitterness that balances
1 tsp fresh cracked pepper in the leg and thigh after 45 minutes. Once well with the sweetness of the chicken. The
1 whole chicken, giblets and neck re- these hit 165°F (74°C), the chicken is done navel orange in the chicken cavity punches
moved and should be a deep golden-brown. up tart and sweet notes throughout,
While the chicken is roasting, prepare the enhancing the beer notes in the brine. Add
ROAST CHICKEN corn salad. Preheat a large cast-iron skillet the lightly spiced, sweet-and-tart corn salad,
Brined chicken over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and the tropical-beer notes come to life
1 navel orange, halved and stir occasionally to ensure even cooking. with complementary flavors in every bite.
1 sprig rosemary You can coat the ears of corn with canola oil
1 tsp cracked pepper and char on a preheated gas or charcoal grill, Grilled Mahi-Mahi
or you can remove the kernels from the cob
CHARRED CORN SALAD and cook in a separate pan. If you grill, allow Tacos and West Coast
4 slices bacon, chopped the ears to cool, then remove the kernels. IPA–Dressed Slaw
3 ears corn, shucked and rinsed When the bacon fat is foaming and the ba-
1 tsp canola oil con seems to be crispy, add the corn kernels
1 red bell pepper, seeded, and diced and the red pepper and stir. Cook for 5 min- Serves: 4
2 roasted green chilies, peeled, seeded, utes, or until the peppers begin to feel tender,
PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES/WWW.MGRAVESPHOTO.COM

and chopped then add the roasted chilies and chives. Cook 1.5 lb (680 g) mahi-mahi filet, bloodline
1 Tbs chopped fresh chives for 3 more minutes, stirring frequently. removed, cut into 3 oz (85 g) strips
Zest and juice of 1 navel orange Turn off the heat and stir in the orange Salt and pepper
Kosher salt and pepper to taste zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper. 1–2 Tbs canola oil
Serve with carved roasted chicken and 8–10 fresh corn tortillas
In the morning, or the night before, in more hazy IPA. 2 red onions, peeled and cut along the
a bowl that is large enough to hold the grain into thin slices
brine and chicken, combine all the brining Beer Tasting Notes: Most hazy or New 2 ripe avocadoes
ingredients except the chicken. Whisk to England-style IPAs have intense tropical ¼ lb (113 g) queso fresco, crumbled
combine. Add the chicken, submerge, cov- fruit flavors and a soft body with a smooth 2 limes, cut into wedges

40 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 41
| COOKING WITH BEER |

inch of white foam, while the aroma will

generally offer ample notes of grapefruit
and pine. Some great examples of this
style are Bell’s Two Hearted Ale, Three
Weavers Expatriate IPA, Firestone Walker
Union Jack, and Cigar City Jai Alai.
What the Beer Does for the Dish: A
white fish such as mahi-mahi is generally
light in flavor and texture, so it depends
on other ingredients to bring some ex-
citement. The fish is delicately prepared,
as it should be, and the beer slaw gives
it a crunchy, bright, fruit-forward, and
slightly bitter edge. That bitterness pulls
out some sweetness from the fish and the
rich flavors overall of the taco. The fruity
character of the beer plays against the
creamy richness of the avocado, making
each bite a sweet, bitter, rich profile that
all balances out.

Brut IPA Mignonette

with Fresh Oysters

Makes: About ½ cup (118 ml) mignonette

4 oz (118 ml) brut IPA

1 tsp minced shallot
1 tsp seeded, minced jalapeño
Zest of 1 lemon
12 oysters, scrubbed well
SLAW MAHI-MAHI
1 egg yolk Season the mahi-mahi evenly with salt Combine all ingredients except the
3 oz (89 ml) West Coast IPA and pepper. Smoked paprika or chili pow- oysters. Adjust seasoning with lemon
1 garlic clove, finely minced der would be a great addition if you want juice. Crack the oysters and spoon 1 tsp of
1 lime, juiced a touch of heat. Pour the canola oil onto a mignonette over each oyster. Enjoy!
1 cup canola oil plate with a rim or into a small bowl, then
1 head of green cabbage, shredded coat the fish with oil and place on grill Beer Tasting Notes: Brut IPAs combine
¼ bundle cilantro, chopped grates over medium-high heat. Cook for delicious hop flavors with an incredibly
Salt and pepper to taste 3–5 minutes or until the fish has begun dry finish. The aroma should be fruity
to turn white halfway. Flip and cook for 2 and floral, the mouthfeel medium-bodied
PREP THE GRILL more minutes. Cook the fish in batches, with soft bitterness, and the finish very
Gas grill: Preheat to medium-high heat, keeping cooked portions warm on a plate, dry and crisp. This style is fairly new, so
clean the grates, and wipe with an oil- covering the fish with foil. While cooking representatives are limited but include
soaked towel. the fish, char the tortillas on the warm Ska Brewing Moral Panic, Terrapin Beer
Charcoal: Prep the charcoal for a 20-min- side of the grill until they are slightly stiff Hoppin’ Bubbly, Brewery Ommegang
ute high-heat burn on one side, leaving (but still pliable) and slightly charred. Brut IPA, and Devils Backbone Brut IPA.
the other side to warm the tortillas. What the Beer Does for the Dish: Rec-
SERVING ipes don’t get much easier than this, and
SLAW Place 1–2 Tbs slaw on a tortilla the success of this dish depends more on
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the egg Place 1 piece of fish on top quality ingredients than on skill in prepa-
yolk, IPA, garlic, and lime juice, then whisk Garnish with onion, a slice of fresh avoca- ration. A mignonette is usually made with
well to incorporate. Slowly drizzle in the oil, do, and 1 tsp of queso fresco vinegar (red or white), but even beer not
making sure to incorporate all of the oil into Serve with lime wedges to spritz on tacos considered “sour” is still relatively acidic,
the mixture after each addition. If the dress- and it brings a similar brightness. Instead
ing seems to be too thick, add a few drops of Beer Tasting Notes: The classic West of simple lemon and spice flavors, the
cold water to thin it out. (As a shortcut, add Coast– or American IPA–style is notably beer (depending on your selection) can
the IPA, garlic, and lime juice to 1 cup may- more pine-resin- and bitterness-forward, bring everything from tropical and citrus
onnaise and mix very well; it will produce a with notes of citrus pith. Imagine the aro- fruitiness to white wine-like crispness,
similar result.) Add the cabbage and cilantro, mas of sitting under a pine tree while eat- all backed with a light but soft bitterness.
tossing to coat. Season to taste with salt and ing a small bowl of grapefruit, and you’ll These flavors will enhance a lot of oysters
pepper, perhaps 1 tsp each. be close. The head should pour a beautiful and help smooth out the brinier ones.

42 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

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BEERANDBREWING.COM | 43
| BREAKOUT BREWER: LONE PINE BREWING |
Opposite, from top »
Lone Pine cofounders John
Paul and Tom Madden; the
Gorham, Maine, tasting room

The
BREAKOUT BREWER

Refiners
In Portland, Maine, the brewers at Lone Pine find that tiny tweaks to its
IPAs yield big-time payoffs. By Kate Bernot
lending the body a lighter, refreshing tex-
ture. The aim was to be a middle-ground
pale ale that still had its malt roots in Sierra
Nevada’s classic but also nodded toward
more boutique, fruit-punchier hop flavors.
It worked. Demand for Portland Pale
went beyond what Madden and Paul
expected—and, at times, beyond what their
hop inventory could supply. Fast growth
MOST BREWERS LOVE to tinker, exper- Tom Madden and John Paul say their has helped the brewery secure much-needed,
iment, and push boundaries in the brew- mission is to make Lone Pine’s beers ap- steady access to hop contracts, which in
house. But most breweries—as businesses— proachable, adaptable, and available. In late turn feed the pale ale and IPAs that are
aim to sell high volumes of their core beers. 2017, they purchased Sebago Brewing’s for- driving the brewery’s growth.
That simplifies operations and ingredients, mer 13,000-square-foot brewery in nearby
and it avoids the sort of headaches that come Gorham. That added production allowed Cranking Up the Character
with managing crowds for special releases or Lone Pine to produce enough beer to send (Carefully)
whipping up new labels every week. to 11 states as far-flung as Florida and Utah, Brightside, the brewery’s flagship IPA, is
In Portland, Maine, Lone Pine Brewing as well as to overseas markets including another success story born of a similar
is one of those lucky breweries that get to the U.K., France, and Japan. origin: Madden calls it a “bigger brother” to
do both. Since opening in March 2016, it Portland Pale. It uses almost the same malt
has built its reputation on hop-forward core Going for Easy Appeal bill, the same yeast strain, and just dials
beers: Portland Pale Ale, Brightside IPA, It’s rare that, in the year 2020, a brewery up the hop intensity—Citra and Falconer’s
and Tessellation Double IPA, recently add- truly excites consumers with a straightfor- Flight, plus Idaho 7—and the ABV by 2 per-
ing a New England double IPA, Oh-J, to the ward American pale ale. As it turns out, cent. When the brewery found itself with too
year-round lineup. Those beers constantly an accessible, modern pale ale is what a much Mosaic on its hands, the Tessellation
occupy the brewery’s largest 80- and 40- lot of drinkers like to have in their fridges. all-Mosaic DIPA—the fourth core beer the
barrel fermentors, and their sales are what “We had this vision of refocusing brewery introduced—was something of a
keep the lights on. Meanwhile, their success people’s attention on something crisp and no-brainer: “We were like, ‘Let’s go to a dou-
also bankrolls what might be called “the fun easy to enjoy, but using hops that appeal ble IPA and dial it up again,’” Madden says.
stuff”—such as a series of beers brewed to people who are really into the craft-beer This isn’t to say that Lone Pine’s core
with actual doughnuts from fellow Portland- world,” Madden says. hoppy beers aren’t distinct, but they are
ers at The Holy Donut, or the Cannon IPA The brewery splurged on the hop bill, variations on a theme. Working with
series that turns the haze dial to 11. using Citra, Amarillo, Centennial, and narrow variables and making small
The popularity of its core beers made Falconer’s Flight blend. They chose an changes are what make those beers shine,
Lone Pine the fourth-fastest-growing English yeast strain, instead of the classic Madden says, rather than reinventing the
American craft brewery in 2018, according Chico strain, to throw more fruity esters. wheel with each new recipe. You generally
to Brewers Association data. Cofounders The recipe keeps the protein content low, won’t find Lone Pine brewers working
with three strange ingredients and a new
hopping technique at the same time. The
PHOTOS: COURTESY LONE PINE BREWING

team’s approach—even with its more

adventurous Cannon series of IPAs—is to
Brewers have been diligently tweaking isolate and incrementally adjust specific
variables from batch to batch until the
yeast-pitching rates within the Cannon series, beer achieves desired flavors.
finding out how they affect not just the esters “Beers like Hawaiian T-Shirt Cannon
or the Holy Donut series seem a little
produced but also the haze level. off-the-wall, but in reality, our process and

44 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 45
 | BREAKOUT BREWER: LONE PINE BREWING |

MAKE IT
Lone Pine “Anyone can dump seven pounds-
per-barrel of Citra in a dry hop, but the
Diamond Unicorn nuance is in the yeast and water,” he
says. “At the end of the day, it’s the same
Double IPA ingredients. We’re finding nuanced
Diamond Unicorn is one of our staple New England–style ways of getting more out of them.”
double IPAs. It’s brewed with extra oats for a silky mouthfeel
and highlighted by Ella and Vic Secret hops.

ALL-GRAIN
our experiments are very calculated,” Madden says. “We are not
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters) drifting a lot when we’re making new beers.”
Brewhouse efficiency: 72% For example, the brewers have been diligently tweaking
OG: 1.075 yeast-pitching rates within the Cannon series, finding out how
FG: 1.016 they affect not just the esters produced but also the haze level.
IBUs: 61 Eventually, they decided that slightly under-pitching the yeast
ABV: 8% forced an increase in the levels of esters, complementing the
hop-driven tropical fruit flavors.
MALT/GRAIN BILL Lone Pine also pays careful attention to how much hop particulate
11.5 lb (5.2 kg) Rahr two-row pale remains in its IPAs, as too much of it can cause astringent hop
1 lb (454 g) flaked oats burn. That’s why the brewers are enamored of their new centrifuge,
1 lb (454 g) Simpsons Golden Naked Oats which has not only improved yield but cleared out a lot of the vegetal
8 oz (227 g) Carapils matter that causes the astringency. Madden says they’re also careful
8 oz (227 g) Weyermann Vienna not to let the beer sit on late-addition hops too long. Four days is his
ideal period; he dry hops two days before the beer reaches terminal
HOPS SCHEDULE gravity, then overlaps the dry hopping with a 48-hour diacetyl rest.
0.1 oz (3 g) Ella [14.8% AA] at FWH Certain highly hopped beers, such as Oh-J, then benefit from a few
0.15 oz (4 g) Columbus/CTZ [15.5% AA] at 60 minutes days’ rest in the cans before the brewery releases them. For Madden,
0.15 oz (4 g) each Ella [14.8% AA], Pacific Jade [13% AA], the sweetest spot for most of Lone Pine’s IPAs is a week or two
and Vic Secret [15.5% AA] at 15 minutes weeks after they’re canned, when the hops have smoothed out.
0.25 oz (7 g) each Ella [14.8% AA], Pacific Jade [13% AA],
and Vic Secret [15.5% AA] at 5 minutes Under the Microscope
0.75 oz (21 g) each Ella [14.8% AA], Pacific Jade [13% AA], For the most part, American brewers are working with roughly
and Vic Secret [15.5% AA] at whirlpool similar raw materials, so these small procedural choices are
1.5 oz (42 g) each Ella and Vic Secret at dry hop (at SG 1.024) everything to Madden.
for 4 days “Anyone can dump seven pounds-per-barrel of Citra in a dry
hop, but the nuance is in the yeast and water,” he says. “At the
YEAST end of the day, it’s the same ingredients. We’re finding nuanced
Wyeast 1318 London Ale III ways of getting more out of them.”
Getting more out of ingredients is getting easier, he says, thanks
DIRECTIONS to better scientific understanding of processes such as biotransfor-
Mill the grains and mash at 154–155°F (68°C) for 60 minutes mation. Even just a couple of years ago, much of the knowledge
or until fully converted. Lauter and sparge as necessary to about how yeast and hops worked together to impact beers’ flavor
obtain 6.5 gallons (25 liters) of wort—or more, depending on was being passed in anecdotes and whispers from brewer to brew-
your evaporation rate. Boil 60 minutes, adding hops according er. Now, it’s an important area of research for brewing chemists.
to the schedule. Whirlpool for 25 minutes, adding whirlpool Madden is on the board of the Quality Control Laboratory at the
hops with 15 minutes remaining. Chill the wort to 66°F (19°C), University of Southern Maine, and the brewery sometimes uses
aerate well, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 68°F (20°C) until that lab to drill down in the beer analytics to a molecular level.
gravity reaches 1.024, then dry hop. Allow the temperature to When it comes to “doing the legwork” on beer quality, Lone Pine
free-rise to 72°F (22°C) and the wort to attenuate fully. Chill, has seen the return on its investment. Paying for a dissolved-
transfer off the hops and yeast, and carbonate to 2.6 volumes. oxygen (DO) meter or lab tests on yeast-cell counts pays off,
Madden says, when customers know they can trust your one-off
BREWER’S NOTES releases as much as they can your flagships.
The water in Portland is extremely soft, giving us a blank That’s how they’ve been able to build a business on mainstays
slate on which to build our profile. Target is calcium 125 while also creating buzz—such as the Great American Beer Fes-
ppm, chloride 150 ppm, and sulfate 50 ppm. We use a ratio of tival bronze medal last year for Chaos Emeralds Double IPA—for
about 4:1 calcium chloride (CaCl) to calcium sulfate (CaSO4). special releases.
“Once you gain the trust of your consumer, anything you come
out with from that point forward,” Madden says, “there’s that
inherent trust you’ve built that ‘Hey, this is going to be good.”

46 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

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| BREAKOUT BREWER: WAYFINDER BEER |

The
BREAKOUT BREWER

Infidels
Behind the alluring façade of what appears to be a pious cathedral of
traditional lager, discover the dogma-busting heresies of Wayfinder Beer
in Portland, Oregon. By Joe Stange
Kevin Davey. He was a plumber and home-
brewer before he went in 2009 to the World
Brewing Academy’s Master Brewer program,
which includes study at Doemens in Mu-
nich. He got his brewing start at Chuckanut
Brewery in Bellingham, Washington—win-
ner of numerous GABF and World Beer
Cup awards for its lagers, including several
while Davey was there, plus the small brew-
ery of the year honor in 2009 and 2011. “I
THEIR HOUSE YEAST IS a lager strain. why the Czech-style lagers get only one de- think they’re probably the best lager brewery
The decoction kettle gets plenty of use. coction, or why most of the lagers may get on the West Coast,” Davey says.
Kräusening and spunding here are routine only three weeks of cold-conditioning time. He went from there to be a production
matters. The walk-in is well stocked in “Now, if you ask the Germans, the real brewer at Firestone Walker for a year, while
Saaz, Hallertauer, and Tettnanger. They traditional way of making a beer is, if you they built their German-style brewhouse.
are beloved by local lagerheads for their want to make a 12° Plato [OG 1.048] beer, Then there was a stint as head brewer at
Bavarian-style helles and Czech-style pils, then it’s one week later than 12,” Davey Gordon Biersch in Seattle before coming
poured with panache and gorgeous creamy says. “So, a 12° Plato beer gets 13 weeks to Portland when hired by Wayfinder’s co-
foam from Czech side-pull faucets. of lagering, total tank time. For us, for founders: Charlie Devereux—previously of
Yep, all the trappings are there—it must the rent that we’re paying, it’s completely Double Mountain Brewery in Hood River,
be a reverent house of traditional lager unfeasible. We just can’t do it. If we could Oregon—and local restaurateurs Matthew
orthodoxy. do it, I think that it would make wonderful Jacobson and Rodney Muirhead.
Get past that façade, though—then be- beer. But the reason that they did that is, Even when Davey was homebrewing, he
hind the curtain—and you’ll find that the they were using pitch-lined barrels and was into lager.
narrative takes some turns. One of those sticking them into a cave. Underneath the “I used to make my own beer because
side-pulls is pouring a hazy IPA. That de- brewery, they brought ice in from the lake it was hard to find really well-made
coction kettle is being used for something just to keep the temperatures cool. We Belgian- and German-style beers at local
called “cold IPA”—with the grist of an have glycol-chilled tanks! We can get our craft breweries. You had to buy imports.
American malt liquor, it’ll be dosed with beer down to 29°F [-2°C]—much cooler So, I figured I’d just brew ’em. And I liked
lager yeast and later kräusened by a fresh than that cave could ever get. IPAs, but I could get some great IPAs in
batch of pils or helles wort. “So, I personally think there’s some Seattle where I was living, so I usually
At Wayfinder Beer in Portland, Oregon, value in changing with the times.” didn’t brew them. I guess that’s where I
tradition is not religion. In fact, there is no got the bug for brewing helles and Dort-
religion here—everything is fair game for Upon this Rock munders, pilsners, and stuff like that.”
critical thinking and scientific reason. It’s If you could cybernetically engineer a brewer Wayfinder opened in late 2016. Hand-
an approach that has led to acclaim from with a career path specially equipped to somely composed of dark wood, exposed
local brewers and drinkers, affirmation make great lagers, you might end up with brick, and long tables and benches, the
in the form of a Great American Beer
Festival bronze medal for that helles, and
multiple honors from the Oregon Beer
Awards, among others.
“I think my atheism is one of the main
reasons why I’m able to make beer like this
“We’re trying to build in flavor but also keep the
because I don’t really hold anything that drinkability,” he says. “Sometimes people take the
strong,” says Wayfinder Brewmaster Kevin
Davey. “I like to challenge everything, every
approach of building up flavor by adding more
thought. So, I think that’s been really helpful items, more items, more items. My idea is, let’s try
in my scientific learning of all this stuff.”
That practical, probing process applies to
to make it even cleaner and allow the hops to
a range of decisions at Wayfinder, such as shine a little bit more. So that’s our approach.”
48 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING
 Clockwise from top »
Wayfinder Brewmaster Kevin
Davey; the brewhouse and bar.

Cold IPA, and other Heresies

One reason that Davey calls Relapse a
“cold IPA” is that he doesn’t want to call it
IPL, or India pale lager.
“When we opened, I wanted to make
an IPA with the Wayfinder spin on it,” he
says. “We were already making a NEIPA,
and I wanted something that would dras-
tically contrast with it—something for the
West Coast clean-IPA fans to get behind.”
In profile, it’s more IPA than IPL, but
its construction is totally unorthodox.
Relapse gets plenty of citrus-forward
hops—late-boil, whirlpool, dry-hop—
while its grist is akin to malt liquor—pil-
sner and rice, including a cereal mash
with decoction. It gets the favored house
strain—W-34/70—but ferments warmer
than a lager, generally at 65°F (18°C).
brewery stretches out into 8,900 square can expand the brewhouse because we’re When fermentation is almost done, it
feet of rehabbed warehouse space—a lot selling every drop we can make.” gets a dose of kräusen—fresh wort from a
of room for people to sit, drink, eat, hang Normally the pub pours from 16 taps; six batch of helles or pils—at the same time
out. In the past, that was almost half of of those are Czech side-pulls. A few of the it gets dry hops, a confluence that Davey
their business. This year’s pandemic taps are set aside for cider and guest beers says also leads to some biotransformation.
lockdown hit them hard; they had to lay from respected colleagues. A typical tap That’s also when the beer is sealed up for
off almost all of their staff. list tends to include a gamut of traditional spunding, to naturally self-carbonate be-
“We’re really down to about three lager styles—helles, pils, Vienna, a couple fore conditioning at colder temperatures.
employees,” Davey says. “It’s me and of bocks, a Dortmunder, a rauchbier, and “Trying the finished product, I was re-
the kitchen manager and the restaurant so on. Inevitably, it will also include a few luctant to call it an India pale lager,” Davey
manager.” There’s no food right now; IPAs. “We always have been a lager- says. “I think that IPLs tend to be malty,
those two colleagues have pivoted to the centric brewery, Davey says. “But we’re in caramelly IPAs, just fermented with a
brewhouse. “We’re doing all the delivering Portland, so about 50 percent of our total lager strain. Relapse is smoother, cleaner,
and brewing and canning and everything.” business is IPA.” and has some new- and old-school tricks
Wayfinder sold about 2,000 barrels of beer The list might also include special re- up its sleeve. It’s a blending of styles. So, I
PHOTOS, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: JAMES REXROAD; COURTESY WAYFINDER BEER (2)

last year. About 80 percent of that was draft, leases—such as this summer’s Cold Kush, call it a ‘cold IPA.’ Maybe I’m just trying to
and about half of that was sold over the a decocted hazy IPA brewed in collabora- stick the image in your head of an ice-cold
counter, on premises. After lockdown, the tion with Portland’s Great Notion Brew- beer, but hoppy as f *ck.”
brewery shifted to almost 100 percent cans. ing. It might also include Terrifica—an- That image had enough appeal to direct-
Distributors have been grateful for what other collaboration, this time with Heater ly inspire Mitch Steele of New Realm and
they can get, and Wayfinder also has had Allen and Modern Times—a dry-hopped, Shaun O’Sullivan of 21st Amendment,
success selling via Tavour, a retail platform Italian-style pilsner that Bloomberg News who recently collaborated on a beer called
that delivers beer to 25 states and counting. named one of its 11 best beers in America. Rice Cold IPA—fermented by a Mexi-
Shifting from taproom-centric to all- Wayfinder’s top sellers are four: a New can-style lager strain.
retail means much lower profits, but Way- England–style IPA called Flower in the For Davey, the bucking of categories and
finder has been more fortunate than most: Kettle; the medal-winning helles, simply convention is not for the sake of rebellion.
Davey still can’t brew fast enough to meet called Hell; a decocted Bohemian-style He has specific, hedonistic goals in mind.
demand. “Now we’re back to brewing just pilsner called CZAF (or Czech as F*ck); “Our modus operandi is trying to make
as much as we were before,” he says. “We and a fourth beer that is…harder to classi- clean, crisp-style beers, refreshing things that
might even grow this year. We’re actually fy. Named Relapse, it’s what Davey calls a you want to drink more of,” Davey says. “I
trying to get some tanks together so we “cold IPA”—a sort of lager-IPA hybrid. want them to be big-flavored, but I don’t want

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 49
MAKE IT
Wayfinder Relapse IPA
“Wayfinder is a lager-centric brewery, with half of its beers being clean lagers and
half hoppy IPAs,” says Kevin Davey, brewmaster. “It seemed like a good time to
make something that was a fusion of the two: clean and refreshing but hop-fresh
with a quick turnaround. Drier, crisper, more drinkable—wester than West Coast.
“On paper, Relapse is aggressively hopped with some classic C-hops,” Davey says.
“The grist is more like an American malt liquor: pilsner and rice. When choosing a
clean yeast, we considered Chico—but that would have stuck a third strain in our pro-
file and given me a ton of headaches. Plus, everyone makes West Coasts with Chico.
So, we decided to use our house lager strain but ferment warm, at 65°F [18°C].”

ALL-GRAIN and rest 30 minutes. Raise the tempera-

ture to 154°F (68°C) and rest 30 minutes.
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters) Raise the temperature to 162°F (72°C) and
Brewhouse efficiency: 72% rest for 15 minutes. Do an iodine test (see them to be saturating. I don’t want them to
OG: 1.061 “On the Road to Conversion,” beerand be cloying in any regard. So, the adjuncts
FG: 1.008 brewing.com) to ensure that starches have help, and the decoction helps with that.
IBUs: 70+ converted, then raise the temperature to “We’re trying to build in flavor but
ABV: 7% 172°F (78°C) and mash out. Sparge and also keep the drinkability,” he says.
lauter as necessary to get about 6.8 gallons “Sometimes people take the approach of
MALT/GRAIN BILL (26 liters) of wort—or more, depending building up flavor by adding more items,
8.4 lb (3.8 kg) Rahr Premium Pilsner or on your evaporation rate. more items, more items. Like, okay, it can
Great Western Superior Pilsen Boil 90 minutes, adding hops accord- have chocolate, it can have roast, it can
3.6 lb (1.6 kg) rice flakes or rice flour ing to schedule. Whirlpool and add the have coriander seed, or something like
whirlpool hop additions when the wort this. My idea is, let’s try to make it even
HOPS SCHEDULE temperature has dropped to about 190°F cleaner and allow the hops to shine a little
0.18 oz (5 g) Magnum [12% AA] at (88°C); continue whirlpooling for 20 bit more. So that’s our approach—to kind
90 minutes minutes. Chill the wort to 48°F (9°C), of go the other way.”
1.7 ml isomerized hop extract [60% AA] aerate well, and pitch rehydrated yeast. Davey sees his cold IPAs as hybrids, not
at 90 minutes (for 35 IBUs) Ferment at 65°F (18°C). When fermenta- so different from the top-fermented lager
0.6 oz (17 g) each Mosaic [12.25% AA] tion reaches about 1.012, move the wort beers of the Rhein region—altbier and
and Centennial [12% AA] at 10 minutes to a pressure vessel (such as a keg; must kölsch—or steam beers, or even the clean
0.6 oz (17 g) each Mosaic [12.25% AA] have pressure relief and a safety valve), lager-like fermentation you can get from
and Centennial [12% AA] at whirlpool dry hop, and add 15 psi—via spunding the Chico strain.
for 20 minutes valve, if possible. Once the beer reaches “This is something that I think is more
2.8 oz (79 g) each Chinook and Cascade terminal gravity, crash to 30°F (-1°C), re- common in brewing, that maybe a lot of
at dry hop move the yeast and hops, and condition homebrewers don’t see as often,” Davey
1.4 oz (40 g) Amarillo at dry hop 1 week before filtering and packaging. says. “A lot of lager yeasts are used at warm
temperatures to make ales that you might
YEAST BREWER’S NOTES not know of. There are a lot of ale yeasts
2 packets of Fermentis SafLager W-34/70 The pilsner malt should be American— out there that are fermented cold to make
high free-amino nitrogen, high diastatic lagers that you might not have heard of.
DIRECTIONS power; German pilsner malts don’t work In particular, when people ferment Chico
For the cereal mash: Mix the rice flakes as well with adjuncts. For the rice, you yeast very cold, it makes a lager style.”
with 13 oz (813 g) of crushed malt and 9 could also experiment with skipping the For some brewers—who might see
quarts (8.5 liters) of 131°F (55°C) water. cereal mash and using rice syrup instead lagers as brewed with lager yeast and
Once there are no clumps, cereal mash of flakes. For the yeast, Kölsch or Chico ales brewed with ale yeast, period—that
to 167°F (75°C) and rest 15 minutes for strains could also work for a “cold IPA.” concept may ask some Yoda-like unlearn-
gelatinization, stirring the whole time. We carbonate via spunding (see “Gear- ing of what they have learned. But Davey
Continue stirring and bring to a boil; head: The Force Behind the Fizz,” beerand​ is less concerned with the scriptures than
boil this decoction for 30 minutes. brewing.com), and I like that for IPAs; what produces the best results.
While the cereal mash is boiling, mash it seems like carb stones can strip away “Really, what drives us here is scientific
in with the malt at 97°F (36°C) and rest aromatics. So, we dry hop on spunding day, reasoning,” he says. “We kind of preach to
there. Once the decoction is finished, care- when kräusening with fresh-fermenting the rest of the people here that we’re not
fully add it to the main mash, stirring rap- Czech pils. It works great: The added fer- so much of a recipe-driven brewery; we’re
idly, which should bring the whole mash mentation scrubs the oxygen from the dry more of a process-driven brewery.”
PHOTO: JAMES REXROAD

to about 140–144°F (60–62°C). Raise the hops, we get some biotransformation, and Orthodox or no, Wayfinder remains a
temperature to 144°F (62°C), if necessary, it completely carbonates the beer. lager geek’s dream.
“Yeah, totally! I mean, that’s what I am,”
Davey says. “I’m just trying to make it a
reality for the rest of the world.”

50 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

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BEERANDBREWING.COM | 51
| GEARHEAD |

GEARHEAD

Hop It Like
It's Hot
centripetal force pulls any solids into the
center of the whirlpool and deposits them
as a cone. Ports ideally positioned along the
sides of the tank, just above that cone, draw
off the clarified wort. Some whirlpools
have a barrier between the cone and the
draw-off ports to help prevent solids from
Pull levers, turn knobs, spin wort—from whirlpools to “dip hopping,” leaving with the wort.
here is a detailed look at some specific hot-side techniques and gear for
dialing in the ultimate IPA. By John M. Verive Layering Hops for Better IPA
In the world of cutting-edge IPAs, little
REGARDLESS OF WHETHER YOU like the brewing process with time-tested tech- tweaks to processes can make big changes
your IPAs dry, bitter, and pilsner-clear, or niques—including doses of aroma hops in the finished beer. Heath says he’s seen
dense, soft, and opaque with polyphenol added to the whirlpool after the boil. brewers scale back their focus on whirl-
haze, you’re sipping them because of how pool-hop additions in recent years. The
they leverage the wondrous hop flower. No Whirlpool Design brewers I spoke to agreed, often putting
other beverage so effectively captures the In designing the brewhouse at Highland more emphasis on dry hopping. Sam
myriad aromas and flavors contained with- Park’s second location, Kunz got help Richardson from New York’s Other Half
in those pungent catkins. Short of packing from Tim Heath. The former engineering Brewing says his late-hopping regimens
a vaporizer with a bowl of freshly rubbed director at Premier Stainless, Heath now for IPA are fairly minimal, rarely more
hops, IPA is your best bet for experiencing helps breweries design new systems and than a pound per barrel. “I think you see
the “surreal expression of what hops are.” processes. Heath breaks down the design more whirlpool additions on the West
Bob Kunz, founder and brewmaster of of late-hop-friendly whirlpool vessels into Coast,” he says. Hops bring bitterness to
Highland Park Brewery in Los Angeles, three aspects: getting wort in, the geom- beer no matter when they’re added, but
dropped that “surreal expression” line on etry of the vessel itself, and getting wort the intensity and character of that bit-
me while discussing his approach to IPA out. The goals are high velocity, good hop terness changes depending on many fac-
brewing. His team’s target varies with contact, the development of a dense cone tors. Each hop dose adds more variables
each new IPA they brew—their output of solids, and efficiency in separating the to the brewing equation, and big charges
ranges from classic West Coast–style to wort from those solids. of hops in the whirlpool can quickly push
new-school soft and hazy ales to the more “It’s hard to move a static body of liquid, the bitterness out of balance—especially
recent attempts to find a middle ground— and you want to get the mass moving for hazy IPA brewers looking to minimize
but Kunz says his ultimate goal is to as quickly as possible,” Heath says. The bitterness while maximizing hop impact.
“maneuver all the knobs available in the swirling inside the vessel is created by a “You can see some negative flavors
brewery to fully realize my vision.” high-velocity stream of liquid at the inlet from big whirlpool additions,” says Tim
When brewing IPA, Kunz envisions a of the whirlpool. Ideally, the flow from the Sciascia, co-owner and head brewer at
beer that not only provides the “pure expe- kettle doesn’t lose any velocity at the whirl- Cellarmaker Brewing in San Francisco.
rience of hops,” akin to sticking your head pool inlet, and the exact position, direction, Cellarmaker is a lauded California IPA
in a fresh sack of hops, but also a beer that and size of this port is crucial to whirlpool brewery whose products have evolved as
contains a “through-line” of hop expres- performance. “The hardest work a pump the style diverged from the West Coast
sion, from the initial pour to the sensations sees in the brewhouse is pulling dense, paradigm. Big whirlpool additions were
that linger even beyond the beer’s finish. 212°F [100°C] liquid out of the kettle,” he common in the seven-year-old brewery’s
He wants his beers to tell the hops’ story says, to illustrate the importance of rugged, early IPAs, but the increased focus on dry
with a beginning, a middle, and an end. To high-velocity pumps. Once the wort is hopping can overshadow the impact of
establish the plot, he adds hops throughout transferred and swirling inside the tank, whirlpool hops. “Whirlpool additions are a

52 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

 Whirlpooling at Highland
Park Brewery, on a system
designed to get the most
hop aroma and flavor via
geometry, control, velocity,
and efficiency.

big part of the complete hoppy experience and contact time during these hop addi- Dip Hop and Chill
but not as big a factor as we thought they tions are two more levers that a skilled The process at Gigantic starts with wort
would be,” Sciascia says. brewer can pull to change the final flavor just off the boil and lasts for about 70 or 80
So why bother with whirlpool additions and aroma of their brews. minutes of total contact time with the hops.
at all? It goes back to Kunz’s “through- For Van Havig at Oregon’s Gigantic They have dialed in the process to make the
line” and “brewery knobs.” Adding hops Brewing, late-hop additions are crucial even most of the whole-cone hops, and Havig
post-boil, but still on the hot side, maxi- though he doesn’t have a dedicated whirl- has another trick up his sleeve for when
mizes the amount of volatile aroma com- pool vessel in the brewhouse. The brewery they want to focus on the more delicate vol-
PHOTO: JAMES SULLIVAN/HIGHLAND PARK BREWERY

pounds extracted, but it minimizes the uses all whole-cone hops, making whirlpool atiles in the hops—flavors and aromas that
bittering that occurs at higher tempera- hopping logistically impractical. Instead, the don’t survive the hotter wort temperatures
tures. It provides a sensory link between brewery whirlpools in their 15-barrel kettle and longer time in the hopback—or when
the structure of the hops added to the boil and then pumps the hot wort into a 21-barrel they want to minimize additional bitterness
and the aromatic impact of dry hopping. hopback vessel, which is stuffed with 10 to via isomerization: It’s called dip hopping.
“If you layer hops in the process, you get 40 pounds of whole-cone hops. Not only Havig describes dip hopping as a
a more layered character in the finished does this hop addition provide a boost of technique borrowed from Spring Valley
product,” Kunz says. Late hopping is an flavor and aroma, but the hop matter acts as Brewery in Japan—part of Kirin’s craft
opportunity to bring another layer to an a filter bed to catch the trub, hot break, and division. It combines lower-temperature
IPA. Controlling the wort temperature hop particles from the kettle. late-hop additions, this time in the fer-

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 53
| GEARHEAD |

Whirlpooling mentation vessel, with exposure to active

fermentation (and that brewer’s buzz-
in the Home word: biotransformation).
Brewery The Gigantic process is straightfor-
ward: load the late-hop addition into the
empty fermentation vessel, purge the
tank with CO2, then add some hot liquor
Adding post-boil hot-side hops to a batch
of homebrew is comparatively simple. at your target extraction temperature to
The smaller batch sizes and hop doses create a concentrated hop tea in the tank.
minimize many of the challenges of whirl- Hopping rates are similar to whirlpool
pool additions at the commercial scale. Of additions—0.75 to 1 lb (340 to 454 g) per
course, you probably don’t have a dedicat- barrel—and a half barrel of hot liquor is
ed whirlpool vessel in your garage brewery, used for each 11 lb (5 kg) of hops. Target
but here are three options for boosting the
aroma of your custom IPAs. temperatures are 150–170°F (66–77°C),
and the hops steep for about an hour
Whirlpool in the Kettle before the brewers pump cooled wort into The heat-exchang- Above » The four-vessel
brewhouse at Breakside
If you use an immersion counterflow the tank and pitch the yeast. Havig says er solution is similar Brewery's Slabtown Pub
chiller in your brew kettle, you can add a that between the lower-temperature hop at first blush, but was specifically designed
hop dose while your wort is cooling. It’s extraction and the effect of active yeast on unfiltered wort from for flexibility in brewing
a time-tested method for homebrewers hop-forward beers.
to add big charges of flavor- and aroma- the hop matter, the aromas and flavors the kettle is full of
boosting hops, but Sam Richardson from produced are vibrant and complex. hot break, trub, and hop particles that will
Other Half suggests using a mesh bag or The processes at Gigantic touch on quickly clog a common plate-and-frame
some other way to contain the hop parti- the biggest challenges for whirlpool-hop heat exchanger. A separate in-line filter is
cles, lest you have a messy slurry to deal additions. First, of course, there’s the required before the heat exchanger to catch
with alongside decreased wort yields. need to have a whirlpool vessel. Gigantic the solids before they block the flow of wort
Use a Hopback gets around it with both a hopback and and cause significant maintenance issues.
You could repurpose a carboy or other their novel dip-hopping method. Once In Portland, Oregon, Breakside Brewery
vessel as a hopback between the kettle the main hardware is sorted, brewers has a custom shell-and-tube-style heat
and your fermentation vessel (or make have to deal with the disparity between exchanger from JV Northwest. Not prone
your own hopback—see “DIY: Make Your wort at almost 210°F (99°C) and the ideal to clogging the way plate-and-frame units
Own Hopback,” beerandbrewing.com). extraction temperatures for whirlpool addi- are, the shell-and-tube units have higher
You’ll also need a pump to move the
hot wort and a way to chill the liquid in tions (150–195°F/66–91°C). There are two throughputs, an important consideration
the kettle to your target temperature common methods for getting the wort into for Brewmaster Ben Edmunds. He says
(try about 180°F/82°C to start). Just add the target temperature zone: transferring that the unit will drop the temperature
your dose of late hops to the hopback through a heat exchanger or watering back of 10 barrels of hot wort by 30°F (17°C) in
and rack the wort onto the hops. Give it the wort with cold liquor to hit the target about 10 minutes. “We could go lower,”
between 45 and 60 minutes of contact temperature. The latter method will of Edmunds says. “Some breweries have great
time, then rerack the wort into your fer-
mentor. Be mindful of wort temperature course reduce the gravity of the wort, so success with whirlpooling at around 160°F
when you pitch your yeast though—it a stronger wort must be made with this [71°C], but any lower than 180°F [82°C], and
might be necessary to rack to an interme- dilution in mind. Depending on the tem- our quality assurance team gets nervous.”
diate vessel with an immersion chiller to perature of the cold liquor, a substantial While more pivotal variables in recipe and
further cool the wort. volume of water may be needed to drop process might overshadow them, whirlpool
the temperature enough, and the mineral additions and other late hot-side hopping
Try the Dip Hop
Oregon’s Gigantic Brewing uses a content of the cold liquor can impact the techniques provide fastidious brewers with
technique called “dip hopping” when flavor of the cooled wort. It is a resource-​ more knobs to turn in their search for the
they want to focus on the more delicate inefficient method that adds more most expressive beers. And while we may
volatiles in the hops or when they want variables and complexity, but it doesn’t not all agree on the specifics of the perfect
to minimize additional bitterness via require much extra equipment (though IPA, we can all get behind brewers devel-
isomerization. The hardest part about the mash tun must be sized to handle the oping their skills to extract the most out of
adapting the process to the homebrew
scale is the math, but for a 5-gallon higher-gravity wort production). every hop flower that goes into their beers.
(19-liter) batch, it works out to about 2 oz
(57 g) of hops steeped in 20 fl oz (591 ml)
of hot water.
Begin by loading your late-hop
addition into your empty fermentation
vessel. Purge the fermentor with CO2, if
possible, then add hot liquor at a target
Brewers have to deal with the disparity between
extraction temperature of 150–170°F wort at almost 210°F (99°C) and the ideal ex-
PHOTO: COURTESY BREAKSIDE BREWERY

(66–77°C). Let the hops steep for about

an hour before you add the cooled traction temperatures for whirlpool additions.
wort and pitch the yeast. Make sure
to adjust your gravity calculations to There are two common methods for getting the
account for the extra liquid, watch your
sanitization practices, and be careful to
wort into the target temperature zone: transferring
minimize oxygen pickup from splash-
ing water or wort.
through a heat exchanger or watering back the
wort with cold liquor to hit the target temperature.
54 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING
 112 Hardr : HOMEBREW

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| HARD EASY SELTZER |

BREWING TECHNIQUE

Hard Easy
Seltzer?
Across the country, pro brewers who not so long ago were turning up their
noses at brewing hard seltzer have since observed that a whole lot of peo-
ple apparently like to drink it. Now, you too can do the same crowd-pleasing
some fruit or flavoring, then you face a
stern production test. Adding flavor is
almost never as hard as keeping it out.
Don’t believe me? Brew an IPA, then brew
a helles and tell me which takes more
tries to get right. Here, we’re going several
steps cleaner than that.
First, though, let’s review the basic process.

180° in your own home brewery. As it turns out, hard seltzer is not all that Keep It Simple
hard to make—unless you want to do it well. By Josh Weikert You should already know that you could
make hard seltzer by adding vodka to your
HARD SELTZER ISN’T NECESSARILY almost certainly capable of making hard favorite can of flavored seltzer water, maybe
hard. In many ways, it’s an easier lift than seltzer at home. Whether it’s too expensive with some lemon or lime juice or flavor
beer. Yet it still requires a craft approach to to do it the way you ought to—in time, ef- extract thrown in—and if you didn’t know
make a craft product. Attach a splintered fort, or dollars—is entirely up to you. Let’s that before, now you do. Heck, you can even
board to two logs with rusty nails, and talk it through and see where you end up. combine those in a keg, force-carbonate it,
you’ve technically got a chair, but no one’s and voilà! Hard seltzer on tap.
going to line up to order eight of them for What Is Hard Seltzer? At the other end of the spectrum, you can
their dining room. Know what I mean? In case anyone needs a short primer, hard go the way of homebrew pioneer and brew-
As I’ve written in these pages before: seltzer is effectively sparkling water plus ery owner-operator Jamil Zainasheff, “chief
Fermentation is fermentation. If you can alcohol. Nothing too complicated: It’s heretic” of Heretic Brewing Company, and
make beer, you can probably make other water plus table sugar and/or corn sugar, try to make the world’s greatest craft seltzer.
things. Does that same logic apply to hard fermented by yeast, and then packaged “We went about making a true craft selt-
seltzer? Yes … and no. and carbonated. That’s it. Because it zer,” Zainasheff says. “[As with] our beer,
On the one hand, as a brewer, you have doesn’t contain residuals from malted we used the highest quality ingredients,
the skills necessary to get sugar into a barley—such as proteins or unfermented real fruit, no added sugar. It turned out
liquid, ferment it, flavor it, package it, and complex sugars—it’s able to offer its alco- great, but it costs a lot to make.”
carbonate it. Plus, we’re talking about a hol at a rock-bottom calorie count and in a Speaking for myself, I believe that
relatively low-ABV product with few in- form fit for those with gluten restrictions. somewhere between those two extremes
gredients—two factors that tend to reduce It’s easy to see why a brewery might be lies the truth.
the degree of difficulty. On the other hand, interested. As John Stemler, co-owner and First, heat some water and dissolve about
hard seltzer’s defining attribute is its crisp, head brewer at Free Will Brewing in Per- 12 oz (340 g) of sugar per gallon (3.8 l) of
clean character, and that can be challeng- kasie, Pennsylvania, put it, “we have made water. Stemler recommends a 50/50 blend
ing to create. That is all the more true it; because it is a gluten-free product, there of dextrose and table sugar. That amount
when there are certain recipe additions and is high demand, and it’s darn tasty.” (about 33/4 lb for a 5-gallon batch, or 1.7 kg
process steps necessary to ensure a clean There. Now you know what hard seltzer for 19 liters) should give you about 5 percent
and complete fermentation. is. More importantly, though, you should ABV. That may depend on the precise sug-
That context raises the specter of a prod- appreciate the challenge involved: If all ars used; most recipe software has options
uct that certainly can be made at home by you have is water, alcohol, and maybe for simple sugar additions, to give you a
a competent homebrewer. It also raises a
question: Do you really want to?
PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES/WWW.MGRAVESPHOTO.COM

A scene from the Christopher Nolan film

The Prestige comes to mind: A Victori-
an-era illusionist visits visionary engineer
Nikola Tesla (played to pitch-perfection Is it worth it to make your own hard seltzer at home?
by David Bowie) seeking his assistance to
produce an apparatus for a magic act. The
If these predictions are correct, then I believe it
illusionist says that he wants “something drives us to a logical conclusion: Yes, you should
impossible.” Tesla replies, “Nothing is
impossible, Mr. Angier. What you want
try it. Your mileage may vary, of course, but for
is simply expensive.” As a brewer, you are my money (and time), this is a skill worth having.
56 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 57
| HARD EASY SELTZER |

EDITORS’ PICKS target gravity/ABV. I recommend heating your water until it just

Hard
begins to steam, then taking the kettle off of the heat and stirring
in the sugars. This will help you avoid scorching the sugar, which

Seltzer
could both darken your product and add undesirable flavors. (Also
note that this is a pretty “light” product in terms of initial gravity, but
nearly all of those sugars will be consumed by your yeast.)
Next, give yourself a short boil—five to 10 minutes will be more
Standouts in the rapidlly evolving world than enough to sanitize your.… Wait, what do we even call this?
of fruit-forward fermented beverages. It’s not wort. Must? Wash? Whatever. Just boil it for a few min-
utes. Since you’re not worrying about isomerizing alpha acids, or
Great Divide developing color, or caramelizing anything (the opposite, in fact),

White Water the boil is short and sweet (pun intended).

Chill, add some yeast nutrient and yeast, and you’re done!
Ruby Red Ferment at about 68°F (20°C) for a week to 10 days, then add any
desired flavorings, package, and carbonate. That will get you a
Crisp grapefruit slice on the nose with a real fruit quality
segues into a very light sip with immaculately balanced relatively colorless, low-calorie, gluten-free hard seltzer.
grapefruit flavor. Smooth despite the lack of sugar (2g However, making a good craft seltzer takes a bit more care.
carbs), invisible alcohol content, perfectly clear, bone dry,
convincing natural fruit flavor, perfectly balanced, and Keep It Clean
no distracting fermentation remnants—it’s exactly what Making seltzer is one thing. Making good, clean, crisp seltzer is
we’re looking for in this type of beverage. another. There are at least three areas that require your attention
ABV: 5% Cal: 110 Loc: Denver, Colorado if you want to win this particular contest: preparing the ground,
selecting the right team, and cleaning up after the game.

Boulevard Quirk First, prepare the ground.

If you thought honey was barren in terms of yeast nutrients, then
Strawberry, friend, you haven’t seen anything yet. When you leave behind your
Lemon & Basil malted barley and wheat, you also leave behind a lot of nutrients,
especially if you start your craft seltzer with distilled or reverse-
An endearing and nostalgic strawberry-lemon-candy
nose transitions to a sip that reads as sweet without osmosis (RO) water, as some recipes direct. As a result, you have
actually being sweet (3g carbs)—a decadent magic some rebuilding to do to give your yeast the tools they
act. It’s crisp with gorgeously stacked lemon and need to chew up that sugar and cough up our ethanol.
strawberry flavor notes off the top, grounded by a Luckily, homebrewers should have no problem
mixologist-approved touch of basil, for a surprisingly getting their hands on the additions they need to
nuanced take on hard seltzer. ensure proper attenuation. What do those include?
ABV: 4.2% Cal: 90 Loc: Kansas City, Missouri “Keep an eye on your nutrients,” Zainasheff says.
“If you are using sugars—dextrose or sucrose—
make sure to add FAN [free amino nitrogen], zinc,

Itz Spritz and minerals to buffer the pH.”

Zinc, Epsom salts, magnesium chloride, DAP
Elderflower Citrus (diammonium phosphate), sodium bicarbonate—
combinations and blends abound, and most recipes
More canned cocktail than hard seltzer, it’s not a
low-calorie play by any stretch, but the striking flavor will direct you to add a certain pre-formulated nu-
captures a compelling natural brightness and polished, trient blend (e.g., Yeastex 82, Fermaid K) to ensure
integrated, sweet/tart citrus note. “Layered” and that the yeast have the necessary fuel to ferment.
“nuanced” aren’t terms typically associated with hard Whatever your instructions, you’ll probably want to
seltzer, but Itz Spritz offers sophisticated and confident stagger additions of these nutrients, much as one
yet accessible flavors sure to please discerning palates does for mead: As a rule of thumb, add nutrients at
and everyday drinkers alike. the boil/pitch, then twice more at 24-hour intervals.
ABV: 4.2% Cal: 140 Loc: Memphis, Tennessee
Second, pick the right team.
The right team of yeast, that is.
If you plan to add minimal
Untitled Art flavoring to your seltzer,
Florida Seltzer you’ll definitely want
a clean, neutral yeast. Sa-
While much of the seltzer-brewing world is pressed in
a race to the bottom line, we’ve patiently watched for fAle US-05 is a popular
a quality argument with a commensurate craft price choice, with a clean
point. At $17 retail for a six, Florida Seltzer is truly profile and wide ideal
twice the price of the competition, but the subtle yet temperature range.
vivid real-fruit nose claws back an advantage for team However, if you’re plan-
craft. With all of the pleasure of guava nectar and ning on a certain flavor
prickly pear in a tight and clean (but opaque and juicy) profile, you might consider
package, it’s refined yet energetic in the best of ways. choosing a yeast that gets
ABV: 5% Cal: 100 Loc: Madison, Wisconsin you leaning in that direction

58 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

already. A word of warning, though: Just complementary answers. First, will
because a brewing yeast is noted for a “craft” seltzer find a regular place in the MAKE IT
certain flavor—“English yeasts produce
berry-flavored esters, so that’ll be perfect
alcoholic beverage market? And second,
is it worth it to a homebrewer to produce Modular
Craft Seltzer
for my strawberry seltzer!”—that may not his or her own versions?
be the only flavor it imparts. At the end of Some adherents to a form of “craft”
the day, you can make hard seltzer with purity bridle at hard seltzer, either out of
just about any beer yeast, but remember an abundance of respect for tradition or
that the goal is a crisp, clean product, because it’s usually not an especially arti- Here’s a basic recipe for hard seltzer to
whatever other flavors you’re adding. In sanal product. One brewing professional which you can add an infinite variety of
beer, I advocate leaning on every ingredi- (who shall remain nameless) responded flavorings.
ent that can provide your desired flavor to my request for comment with the terse
profile, but for seltzer, you’re probably best and sarcastic, “what is ‘craft’ seltzer?” Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
advised to stick with neutral yeast. That view is not universal, though. Stem- OG: 1.030
ler replies, “as long as it’s being created FG: 0.993
Third, clean up after the game. with quality, I’m fine with whatever,” not- ABV: 4.8%
You don’t want to neglect those end-of- ing further that sloppy production is a far
process steps such as flavor additions, greater concern as the industry competes FERMENTABLES
clarifying/fining, and (if you have the with wine and cocktails for customers. 1.9 lb (862 g) corn sugar/dextrose
requisite equipment) CO2 scrubbing. Others—such as Tim Ohst, head 1.9 lb (862 g) table sugar/sucrose
When you add flavorings or flavor of brewery operations at Sly Fox in
extracts, add to taste in small increments Pottstown, Pennsylvania—say they YEAST
until you get your precise volumes and think that seltzer will find a place but Fermentis SafAle US-05 plus Fermaid K
recipes dialed in. You’ll also want to use that individual purveyors will face a or other yeast-nutrient blend
a fining agent such as isinglass or gelatin challenge in building a loyal audience.
to get a bright, clear finished product— “I’m sure some small-scale producer DIRECTIONS
and if ever there was a great candidate for will hit on a unique flavor concoction or Heat 5 gallons (19 liters) of water until
aggressive filtering, this is it, especially clever marketing idea and have success,” steaming, then turn off the heat, add the
with no hops to clog your filter. There’s Ohst says, “but in general I don’t believe sugars, and stir until dissolved. Boil for
also no concern about stripping IBUs, as there’s enough of a differentiation be- 10 minutes, then add 2 g yeast nutrient.
there might be with beer. tween ‘craft’ and ‘mass-produced’ hard Chill to 68°F (20°C), aerate, and pitch the
Last, Stemler recommends one addition- seltzer in the eyes of the consumer to yeast. After 24 hours, add 2 g more of
al step to get the most out of your seltzer: have them identify with the brand.” yeast nutrient, and the same the following
“Scrub with CO2 after transferring off Zainasheff has a grimmer outlook. “Selt- day. When fermentation is complete, add
yeast, to drive any lingering yeast charac- zer will get cheaper and cheaper on the flavorings and adjust as desired, then
teristics out.” Those can include sulfur, shelves,” he says. “There are huge players package and carbonate.
DMS, and other compounds that might positioning for battle, and the consumer
hide in beer but are all too noticeable will not see the value of higher-priced BREWER’S NOTES
in seltzer. CO2 scrubbing is risk-free in options. Seltzer will stick around for a This is where the fun begins. Your clean
seltzer because there are no hop aromas number of years, but the drive to make it hard seltzer is a blank canvas for a variety
to drive off—a common concern cheaper, and the success of that drive, will of flavorings. Here are a few options:
with using it on beer. How to do it: eventually doom it to the trendy—but not Fruit: Add 2–3 lb (1–1.5 kg) of low-pectin,
With the seltzer in a keg and the lid good—pile of failures.” crushed or pureed fresh fruit (such as
removed, connect a gas line (set This brings us to the second question: raspberry or pineapple) for a bright and
to about 3–4 psi or 0.2–0.3 bar) Is it worth it to make your own hard natural fruit character. To be on the safe
to the “out” post and simply seltzer at home? If these predictions are side, consider adding ¼ tsp (1.2 ml) of
bubble gas up through liquid correct, then I believe it drives us to a pectic enzyme to fight haze that might be
for five minutes. These last logical conclusion: Yes, you should try it. caused by fruit pectins. Wouldn’t want to
steps will polish up your Your mileage may vary, of course, but for cloud up that crystal-clear seltzer (though
seltzer before serving. my money (and time), this is a skill worth it will taste great either way).
having. Amid competition and price pres- Coffee: Cold-steep 8 oz (227 g) of your fa-
A Place for Ev- sures, there is good reason to believe that vorite artisanal coffee and add to taste—if
erything, and better hard seltzer will become increasing- you think hard seltzer is cool, wait till you
Everything in ly difficult to find on store shelves. show up to a party with hard coffee.
Its Place It’s exactly that sort of situation that led More Flavors: Get your hands on your
I think that we homebrewing to become popularized favorite liquid flavor extract and add to
must take a in the first place. Thirteen years ago, I taste. This is probably the simplest option,
moment here, started brewing because a beer that I and you get a huge range of flavors
in conclusion, loved was no longer being exported to from which to choose: PB&J, vanilla and
to discuss two the United States, so I decided to make allspice, butter almond—there’s no end to
questions it for myself. the possible combinations.
raised by the If we want high-quality, artisanal hard
boom in hard seltzer, we will probably need to shift for
seltzer—though ourselves—and we need not do it the
conveniently, they form easy way.

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 59
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CRAFTBEERANDBREWING.COM | 61
Don’t Be
BREWING WITH HOPS

Creeped Out
Stan Hieronymus, author of For the Love of Hops, Hopping Beers,” was complete,
discusses the creeping phenomenon of dry-hopped beers that seem to the second brewer to ask a question be-
have minds of their own—and ways to keep them under control. gan, “We are all slaves to the creep.” The
phenomenon has been called hop creep
“HOP CREEP” ISN’T THE name of a hopped beers with Liberty Ale, why did it from that day forward, “creep” referring
beer-themed horror movie—just a real, suddenly become necessary to consider to an ongoing and slow reduction in final
ongoing mystery that brewers and hop the enzymatic potential of hops? gravity. (There is not a single word to de-
scientists are still sorting out. Looking for answers started out as a scribe this reduction in German, so Ger-
Oregon State University’s Tom Shell- “hmmmm project,” Shellhammer says. “We man brewers also call this “hop creep.”)
hammer, one of the country’s top brewing opened up this box, and we found all sorts An (oversimplified) explanation of what
scientists, says that his earliest moments of cool stuff, from a scientific perspective.” is happening goes like this:
of being introduced to the phenomenon Curiously, it was a question from Allagash
were about five years ago, although he Brewing—which at the time dry hopped ▪ Dry hopping liberates fermentable
didn’t realize it at the time. “I was giving a just 1 percent of its beers and bottle- sugars in beer (glucose and maltose,
talk at the 2015 Craft Brewers Conference, conditioned 98 percent of them—that led mostly maltose), and hops contribute a
and somebody in the Q & A asked, ‘Hey, to opening the box. The brewery dumped small amount of sugar themselves.
do you see people getting diacetyl when its first 60-barrel test batch of Hoppy Table ▪ A higher hop load adds more sugars.
they dry hop?’ I was like, ‘No.’” Beer in 2016 because instead of finishing ▪ Longer dry-hopping time and higher
Diacetyl is one result of hop creep. with a carbonation level of 2.6 volumes as temperatures result in more sugars.
Beer with more alcohol than a brewery targeted, the beer reached 4.5 volumes in ▪ Dry-hopped beer with high residual ex-
intended—which brewers call “out of three weeks. Allagash does not make this tract produces more fermentable sugars.
spec”—is another, as are bottles or cans sort of conditioning miscalculation. ▪ Enzymatic activity varies across variet-
with dangerously high levels of carbon- Zach Bodah, head of quality control, led ies and may be influenced by farming
ation. Back in 1893, Horace Brown and a series of experiments and treatments, practices.
G. Harris published research about “the finding a solution to the problem. But
Learning from Adventures
PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES/MGRAVESPHOTO.COM

freshening power of dry hops,” claiming then, “we [had] even more questions
that hops contained a “diastate” that was about why this [was] happening,” Bodah in Creep-Fighting
responsible for a second fermentation in says. “Time to call an expert. And who Shellhammer headed a CBC Online panel
the cask due to dry hopping. are you going to call when you have a hop in May, along with four brewers who
More research in 1940 confirmed that question? Doctor Tom Shellhammer.” talked about the approaches they’ve taken
Brown and Harris were correct. Yet the Shellhammer, Bodah, and Allagash to managing hop creep.
matter did not come up again for more Brewmaster Jason Perkins told the story Brewmaster Adam Beauchamp says
than 70 years. So, 40 years after Anchor at CBC in 2017. When their presentation, Creature Comforts Brewing began to
Brewing reintroduced America to dry- “Unintended Over-Attenuation from Dry notice hop creep in heavily dry-hopped

62 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

CRAFTBEERANDBREWING.COM | 63
 Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River presented
Avoiding Hop data-based details about two solutions his
Creep at Home brewery has found. In one, brewers dry
Blaze Ruud, director of key accounts hopped an all-Simcoe beer called Row 2,
Hill 56 with Cryo hops and compared it
and brewing innovations at Yakima
Chief Hops, still brews his own beer,
although not necessarily five gallons
to one dry hopped with pellets. Beer dry
hopped with Cryo cleared diacetyl precur-
at a time. He noticed hop creep several
years ago and adjusted his recipes

sors in seven to nine days, while those dry

and process for heavily hopped beers
accordingly. He offers this advice:
▪ Keep the grain bill simple, limiting
the amount of unfermentable hopped with pellets took 10 to 15 days.
sugars for the hops to work on in the
first place.
▪ Mash at a lower temperature, again
limiting the amount of unfer-
mentable sugars.
▪ Use T-90 pellets during active fer- beers in 2016. However, it was not a seri- “We solved our problem without fully
mentations and Cryo hops toward ous problem in Tropicalia, the brewery’s understanding how.” Pacific Ale won the
the end (1–2° Plato from anticipated flagship IPA. That changed in December silver medal at 2016 World Beer Cup as an
terminal gravity).
of 2018, when instead of finishing in 14 English-style summer ale.
▪ He suggests a combination of pel- days, Tropicalia took 20 or more to clear After seeing the Allagash/Oregon State
lets and Cryo hops (which reduce
the enzymatic potential of the hops VDK (vicinal diketones, flavor compounds presentation in 2017, Stone and Wood
and brighten the aroma), replacing 2 that include diacetyl). Finishing gravity, conducted a series of experiments to better
ounces (57 g) of pellets with 1 ounce targeted for 2.8° Plato (P), dipped to 1.8° P. understand hop creep. They determined
(28 g) of Cryo. A recipe that calls for Tropicalia accounts for more than 60 that 86°F (30°C) is the optimal temperature
6 ounces (170 g) of dry hops would
percent of Creature Comfort’s sales. Lon- for enzyme activity and that the optimal
then include 2 ounces (57 g) of pel-
lets and 2 ounces (57 g) of Cryo. ger cellaring time for the beer would have pH range is 4.0–4.5. They also learned that
▪ Do not cool beer until it has passed effectively lowered the brewery’s capacity 1 PU (pasteurization unit) is sufficient to
VDK/diacetyl sensory. If this takes from 70,000 barrels per year to 43,000. denature hop enzymes and yeast.
more than five or six days, check the A quick check found yeast viability At Shellhammer’s panel, Vinnie Cilurzo
yeast health. issues, but even after those were solved, of Russian River presented data-based
▪ Get beer off the trub within one to Tropicalia was still taking longer than details about two solutions his brewery
two days of crash cooling.
before to clear VDK and finishing below has found. In one, brewers dry hopped
target. The brewery tested a variety of an all-Simcoe beer called Row 2, Hill 56

Enzymatic
potential solutions: adding lactose, adding with Cryo hops and compared it to one
dextrose, using hop concentrates, chang- dry hopped with pellets. Yakima Chief

Power
ing yeast and hop varieties, dry hopping Hops uses a propriety process to produce
earlier, recirculating hops. Cryo hops, separating lupulin within the
Ultimately, Creature Comforts settled on lupulin gland from green matter. Hop
Kaylyn Kirkpatrick, technical brewing using alpha acetolactate decarboxylase, an enzymes reside within the vegetal matter
project coordinator at the Brewers As- enzyme that breaks down the precursor but not in the Cryo pellets.
sociation, wrote her master’s thesis at
for diacetyl to acetoin, a compound with Beer dry hopped with Cryo cleared
OSU on “Investigating Hop Enzymes.”
In the process, she examined the enzy- a high flavor threshold. Brewers crash diacetyl precursors in seven to nine days,
matic power of 30 hop cultivars, classi- cool the beer when it reaches target final while those dry hopped with pellets took
fying their potential as high, moderate, gravity. Beauchamp emphasizes that 10 to 15 days.
or low. She was careful to point out separating yeast from the beer, which In Cilurzo’s second example, Rus-
the limitations of the investigation Creature Comforts does with a centrifuge, sian River used hops kilned at a higher
because, besides the variety, the har-
is essential because dextrinase from the temperature than that which has become
vest year, on-bine maturity, and drying
practices may influence enzyme hops will continue to create sugar.
activity. That one lot of Amarillo she Caolan Vaughan, head brewer at Stone
included is high in enzymatic power and Wood in Australia, says his brewery
and one is low emphasizes that point. began to notice trailing fermentations in
High: Amarillo (2015 crop), Cluster, its Pacific Ale in 2014. The 4.4 percent ABV,
Fuggle, Nugget, Perle 20-IBU beer accounts for 88 percent of the
Moderate: Azacca, Cascade, Comet, brewery’s production. It was one of the first
Dr. Rudi, Golding, Kohatu, Mosaic, Mt.
beers anywhere to showcase Galaxy hops.
Hood, Moutere, Pacific Gem, Pacific
Jade, Rakau, Simcoe, Wai-ti, Willamette In 2015, the brewery received complaints
Low: Amarillo (2016 crop), Centennial, about over-carbonation, and its lab ob-
Citra, Crystal, East Kent Golding, El served that alcohol content had increased
Dorado, Galaxy, Hersbrucker, Saazer, in samples held in its library. “We needed
Summit a solution, and we could not consider
filtration,” Vaughan says. Stone and Wood
chose to begin flash-pasteurizing its beer.

64 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

 standard for aroma hops. Russian River
brewed batches of Pliny the Elder made
with hops kilned at 130°F (54°C), the new
Five on Five
Few styl es hav
ual
e
ly
evo
unr
lve
eco
d faster than IPA. Much of
gni zab le
what sells in this hugely
compared to the beers tha
t defined
st
it
Coa
a
st
popular
me re decade
iterations,
standard, and at 145°F (63°C). The high- category is virt fruit-forward We
ness, haze, and rethought their faves.
er-kilned batch took a day and a half less ago. But in this era of soft mselves like to drink? We asked five for
what beers do brewers the
to clear diacetyl.
At Oregon State, a tasting panel evaluat-
ed beers brewed with high- and low-kilned
Highland Pa rk Hello LA ek Beer in
hops that were packaged on consecutive ner and brewer, Green Che
Evan Price, co-ow
days. The panel described the aroma of Orange, California your
ht just make you rethink
the high-kilned version as bright citrus, “Drinking Bob’s beers mig ma kin g every beer style,
is goo d at
pithy grapefruit rind, orange peel, tanger- profession. The guy er IPA
it, and this clear and bitt
ine, and tropical. The flavor was resinous, which is absolute bullsh on the aro ma tics and
Punchy
citrus, and almost raw. from him is no different. t is nev er harsh. Dude is
bittern ess tha
flavor, with a firm
The aroma of low-kilned beer was bright up.”
one of the greats. I give
citrus, more tropical than the high-kilned,
and piney. The flavor was resinous, citrus,
more palatable, round, and had a softer
mouthfeel with a shorter, bitter finish. Most
important to Cilurzo was that panel mem- Widowmaker Blue Comet g in
der, Vitamin Sea Brewin
Dino Funari, cofoun
bers were split on which beer they preferred. s
Weymouth, Massachusett ker Brewing in Braintree,
Another option is “flash-kilned” hops, but “Blu e Com et from Wid ow ma
ver
that I search out whene
Cilurzo says that more research is needed Massachusetts, is an IPA tha t they are close by
to judge the value of using them. From it. We ’re fortuna te
they release with
ds on it regularly. Packed
Tributary Hop Farms in Washington, these to us, so we get our han Citra hop s, it’s like a NEIPA
s of
Simcoe, Comet, and a kis ed
are kilned briefly at a high temperature, o-row, white wheat, flak
then at a much cooler temperature. The with West Coast roots. Tw nd out the malt bill to
lde n Pro mis e rou
oats, and Go p
dry-hopping time was slightly shorter for a y-drinking IPA. Don’t slee
produce a crisp, clean, eas ry!”
bre we
beer dry hopped with 2 pounds (907 g) of on this up-and-coming
flash-kilned Citra hops per beer barrel.
Researchers at Oregon State have

Smuttynose Finestkind
measured the impact of temperature on
enzymes, in this case as part of an ongoing wery
der, Bissell Brothers Bre
Noah Bissell, cofoun
study about the impact of kilning on aro-
in Portland, Maine s to the
matic qualities. That research found that d forcibly opened my eye re of
“Smuttynose Finestkin nev er got the measu
higher heat reduces enzymes. “That’s not a wonders of hops, and hon estly
of East
perfectly in the middle
PHOTOS, FROM TOP: JAMIE BOGNER; DINO FUNARI; COURTESY SMUTTYNOSE BREWING; COURTESY SALLY MORROW CREATIVE; COURTESY FINBACK

call for hop farmers to turn their kilns up,” acclaim it warrants. It sits wa ys, with an elusive
in all the
Shellhammer says. Farmers have reduced and West Coast style, raw am to have. ”
beers onl y dre
kilning temperatures by 15 to 20 degrees dryness most
Fahrenheit (8 to 11 degrees Celsius) in
the past decade because brewers asked
Mountains WalClking
for hops with more essential oil, which
Nelson Sauvin oud Curtain
contains the aromatic compounds brewers r of Brewing Operations,
Mark Hastings, Directo na
seek to accentuate with dry hopping. Brew Lab in Billings, Monta
Überbrew/By All Means and sm oot h, esp e-
soft
Max Kravitz, quality manager at pFriem “It’s a big beer, but it drinks ay in Montana. It goes
tod
Family Brewers, has talked to brewers cially on a warm day like
you can get in trouble
across the country and previously summa- down nice and easy, and
nt AB V. It’s hazy, but I wouldn’t
with the 8.5-perce
rized what he learned in a presentation for IBU s is a gentle giant. I’m
put it as sweet, and at 20
members of the Brewers Association of ing in love with it, it’s got
an aroma guy, so if I’m fall
the Americas. He’s heard the stories about . I’ve alw ays lov ed Nelson Sauvin, and
a big aroma y drinking, with big
how hop creep seems more common ma kes it eas
that hop variety bite. I’ve had it at
bur n, no
with California ale yeast, from whatever aromatics but no hop mo nths.”
few
the source, or Amarillo hops—but that least six times in the last
doesn’t mean a brewery will want to swap
out a yeast strain common to many of its
beers or abandon particular hop varieties.
He recited the list of variables to consider: Finback Oscillation Brewing in
/head brewer, Civil Society
Karl Volstad, owner
yeast cells in suspension, timing of dry-hop
Jupiter, Florida my
additions, dry-hop quantities, dry-hop tem- Finback is always one of
“The Oscillation series from are continually pushing the
perature, total contact time, and agitation Those guy s
favorites to drink. e brewed
py beers can be. We hav
(rousing). Ultimately, he offered the same boundaries of what hop com e aw ay with a wealth of
es and
advice as other brewers on the panel. “The with them multiple tim
way we approach it isn’t going to work for knowledge each time.”
every brewery,” he said. “Every brewery
needs to develop their own strategy.”

CRAFTBEERANDBREWING.COM | 65
Brewing a
BREWER’S PERSPECTIVE

Light-Hearted
Low-Cal IPA
Andy Farrell, brewing innovation manager at Bell’s Brewery, talks about
the tinkering and process behind developing Light Hearted Ale, the com-
One of the other things you’re going to
see is other people playing around with
pany’s highest-profile new release in years. As told to Jamie Bogner enzyme. Enzyme’s going to give you the
ability to get the beer very dry. It’s going to
On the earliest attempts… the same family. So, that got to be pretty take the carbohydrate down significantly.
What we did was, we just scaled down a tricky, and we played around with getting And that is also not something that works
normal batch of Two Hearted. It was like the right malt profile behind this beer, well with our ethos. It’s not something
4.5 percent ABV, 130 calories, something along with getting the hopping just right. It that we do. So, the challenge with this
like that, just your typical session IPA. took some playing around with for sure. one really was making a beer that worked
What I found with that beer—and we all with Bell’s traditions and ethos and still
tend to agree—it was a little bit hollow. You On whether to add special meeting customer expectations in terms
know: There was just something missing. ingredients… of calories and flavor. And we did that
We use these goofy terms sometimes So, that’s a big conversation around our through water, malt, hops, yeast—you
in our brewery, and John [Mallett, vice brewery all the time: brewing ethos, which know, that’s all that’s really in this beer.
president of operations] and I were talking means making sure we’re true to Bell’s
about it. We were in the room with a and what we’ve always done when we’ve On trial and error…
bunch of sales and marketing people, and built these beers. … I think when you Certainly, mashing profile is part of the con-
we were telling them that the middle was look across the landscape of these brands, sideration. You throw in hop creep, that fun
hollow, and they’re like, “What are you you’re going to see a couple of things. little curve ball, and you’ve got a little bit of a
talking about?” We’re like, “Just trust us. Some of those products for back-sweetening riddle to solve when building this thing.
The middle is hollow on this beer.” and body [such as monk fruit extract or To get this beer where it needed to
chicory] are certainly there. Depending on be—from the aspect of maintaining our
On finding balance… what that product may be, it may work brewing ethos, customer expectations in
When I think about Two Hearted, and well with our ethos, or it may not. terms of calories, and body, flavor, all of
what Two Hearted is—it’s got malt balance. What really works best with our ethos that—it just took a significant amount
That’s one of the big things about Two is water, malt, hops, and yeast, and that’s of work. That’s part of why breweries
Hearted as an IPA: There’s malt balance, what we try to do. like ours invest in pilot breweries. We
and the hops, with Centennial—the way
that we’re hopping with it—there’s a citrus
component. There is sort of a piney com-
ponent to it, and maybe some red fruit—a
kind of generic fruit character—that comes

“You have to be really, really careful with

with it, too. And what we found when we
PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES/WWW.MGRAVESPHOTO.COM

[how much] hops you use in a beer like

scaled this thing down … the malt wasn’t
there. The malt—unlike the initial trial

this. What happens is that some of the

batches—was not where it needed to be.
It was really hard to get the beer as dry
as we needed to, for it to have drinkability. nontraditional hop-bittering compounds
leave too much earthiness or too much
It’s also the way that we’re controlling our
calories as well. It was really hard to do that
and still maintain the malt character that bitterness. ‘Hop burn’ is probably a pretty
common term people use for it.”
we believe is synonymous with Two Heart-
ed—this is Light Hearted; it needs to be in

66 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

 Make
It!
If you want to brew
your own take on
Bell's Brewery Light
Hearted Ale, visit our
website for the recipe
that's only accessible
to subscribers.
beerandbrewing
.com/lighthearted

CRAFTBEERANDBREWING.COM | 67
Low-Calorie
EDITORS’ PICKS probably took at least eight to 10 cracks at
this thing before we even ran a production

IPAs
trial. So, it just takes time. You know, I’d
love to say that there’s this map to follow
for doing this, but from my perspective,
the best way—and probably the most fun
way, too—is to brew the beer, and make
Five flavor- and aroma-forward IPAs that scratch the hops adjustments, and learn from what you do,
itch without loading up on calories. and try to perfect it as much as possible.

Deschutes Wowza! On building the malt bill for

a light IPA…
With a decided light and juicy bent, the nose offers copious amounts
of tangerine, peach, guava, and passionfruit with a soft herbal note
One of the unique things we do at our
underneath. If you’re expecting sweet on the sip, think again—this
brewery, our base malt is a blend of
is a low-calorie IPA after all, and that first sip is mildly jarring for
lower-colored two-row—like American
those accustomed to its calorie-dense cousins. But three or four sips
two-row malt—and pale-ale malt. It’s
in, it hits its stride and the fruit aromas sweeten up the pale body
malted by an American malting company
for a satisfyingly drinkable dry, fruity, “crushable” beer.
but done more in that tradition of English
ABV: 4.0% Cal: 100 (12 oz) Loc: Bend, Oregon
pale-ale malt: a little higher color, more
toasty flavor, that kind of thing.
Two Hearted’s a really simple recipe: It’s
Bell’s Light Hearted two-row, pale-ale malt, and C-40 [i.e., 40L
crystal malt]. Going with that exact malt
Sweet orange-peel nose with creamy, vanilla-like touch. A gulp’s profile [for Light Hearted] left a hollow mid-
light initial sweetness is immediately enveloped in smooth, dle, and the crystal malt, where it sat at that
dusty bitterness indistinguishable from the clean, dry finish. It percentage, was maybe a little more than
all happens fast—quenching, then you need another gulp to pay you’d want in a beer this light. So, we actual-
closer attention. This is a light beer that drinks like one, but with ly took a unique approach. We threw a little
boosted aroma and thoughtful malty touches that help give a Munich malt in this thing. Not a bunch. But
fleeting impression of heft. enough to support everything else. It gives
ABV: 3.7% Cal: 110 (12 oz) Location: Comstock, Michigan it a little more color, and it definitely gives it
some malty character. C-40 is still in there.

Dogfish Head
They’re both actually part of it.

Slightly Mighty On the addition of Galaxy

hops to Light Hearted…
Peach-forward, fuzzy-navel hop nose. Brief impression of
sweetness in the flavor—flash of tangerine—then a low, steady I love Galaxy, for one, and had actively been
wave of smooth, earthy bitterness guiding you to a dry finish. trying to look for a way to [include it in] one
Some bitterness lingers to remind you: This is supposed to be an of our beers. And as we focused on the first
IPA. Has that DFH liveliness, with an impression of weight despite low-cal iteration of this, I thought, “You
what must be a feather-light grist. know, let’s take a crack at it using it that
ABV: 4.0% Cal: 95 (12 oz) Loc: Milton, Delaware way.” And what I found is that it really ele-
vated the hop character overall. There’s still

Weldwerks
a good amount of Centennial in this beer.
You have to be really, really careful with
Fit Bits [how much] hops you use in a beer like
this. You think about your typical IPA these
Light yet creamy tropical fruit notes on the nose with an almost
days, over 6 percent alcohol, and people are
coconut and almond note. This much flavor in a beer with five
dry hopping these things, at minimum,
PHOTOS FROM TOP: JAMIE BOGNER(2); COURTESY DOGFISH HEAD; JAMIE BOGNER(2)

grams of carbs seems like cheating. The sip is less overtly fruity
probably two-and-a-half pounds all the way
with a more complex light tannic and tropical funk notes pushing
up to five pounds per barrel. What happens
forward, but the dry finish despite the relatively substantial body
with a beer like this, in particular, is that
makes for extra drinkability.
some of the nontraditional hop-bittering
ABV: 4.2% Cal: 130 (16 oz) Loc: Greeley, Colorado
compounds leave too much earthiness or

Two Roads Wee Demon

too much bitterness. “Hop burn” is prob-
ably a pretty common term people use for
it. So, what I found with this one was the
Rewind to “session IPA” a few years ago, and you had ragged
need to use a subtle hand.
bitter beers with thin body that were unpleasant all around. Today,
We’re still up near a pound per barrel on
incredibly light beers like Wee Demon have embraced softer modern
this thing—which would have been not
hopping techniques to provide satisfying hop experiences without
subtle at all 15 years ago. But as we build
the rough edge. Its polished and thoroughly well-integrated hops
these things now, we’re hopping much
character is perfectly balanced by the light malt. The nose is a bit
more heavily than we used to.
understated, but the sip brings it home.
This beer is not an exact light version of
ABV: 3.8% Cal: 95 (12 oz) Loc: Stratford, Connecticut
Two Hearted. But being that [all-Centen-

68 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

 nial-hopped] Two
Hearted was the in-
spiration, there was
no doubt that, if

Listen
anyone was going
to be leading the

Up!
dance, it was going
to be Centennial.
So how do you
proportion those
For much more about
Light Hearted as out in a way that
well as the brewing gives you what
process and ethos at you’re looking
Bell’s, check out our for? And, I’ll be
Podcast Episode 139: completely honest

Brewing
Andy Farrell on the
with you—I sort of
Delicate Design of
made an educated
BREWER’S PERSPECTIVE
Low-Cal IPAs. This
text is based on that guess. It happens.

Slightly Mighty
discussion and has When you write a
been edited for clarity lot of recipes, you
and length. get used to doing

Low-Cal IPA
beerandbrewing
things a certain
.com/podcasts
way. You know
how it works in your brewery, and you
almost get a sixth sense about it.
I figured that if I went too close to even
50/50 [Galaxy and Centennial] on the dry Sam Calagione, founder of Dogfish Head, on the diffi-
hop, then it’s going to turn into a Galaxy culty of nailing down a winning low-cal IPA.
beer. Within the matrix of that beer, I
don’t even know that Galaxy is a great How would you describe the challenge of building a light-
hop to lead that matrix. It’s still a beer er-framed IPA that has plenty of hop flavor?
led by Centennial with Galaxy in strong Our first couple of attempts [at Slightly Mighty] didn’t turn out so great,
but once we discovered the power of monk fruit, our luck changed.
support and enhancing that character. So, Using monk fruit, we were able to brew a full-flavored, low-cal IPA
it’s certainly not a Galaxy beer, but it’s not that’s slight in calories and carbs with mighty hop character.
going to taste just like a Centennial beer Typically, when brewing super-hoppy IPAs, brewers rely on malt
to a customer either. And that was sort of sweetness to balance the hop bitterness, but more malt means more
what we were going for. carbohydrates and more calories. The biggest challenge we faced
We love Centennial; it was just a little when developing Slightly Mighty was trying to create enough body in
the beer to withstand some serious doses of hops, and we were able
too heavy, almost weighty. It kind of to do that with monk fruit. Sweeter than sugar per ounce, monk fruit
weighed the beer down a little bit. Just the acts as the beer’s skeleton upon which we can build hop muscle.
use of Galaxy in that way brightens it up,
and it lightens it up a little bit. It certainly What were the specific obstacles in developing Slightly Mighty?
was, from our perspective, an effective Bringing Slightly Mighty from ideation to fruition was challenging
way to utilize the hop. in and of itself, but once we honed the recipe, we ran into an even
more interesting obstacle: Monk fruit was not on the TTB’s list of
preapproved brewing ingredients—no one had ever used monk fruit
On the map and the in a commercial brew! That said, we got our brewers and legal team
destination… together, formulated a plan of action, and advocated to the TTB that
One of the fears when we started messing monk fruit be added to their list of preapproved ingredients.
around with this beer was, at 3.7 percent,
there’s just not that much there. The last How did you stumble on the idea to try using monk-fruit extract?
I discovered monk fruit online while researching alternatives to add-
thing you want to do is give the customer ing additional malt—and therefore sugar—to Slightly Mighty. I saw that
the experience of what it would be like to it was being used as a calorie-free sweetener by many health-
put a hop-cone in your mouth. conscious folks. It was then that we decided to try using monk fruit
As much as hops drive the beer, you to brew Slightly Mighty, and it worked splendidly. It allowed us to add
have to remember that the best beers are body and complexity to the beer without adding calories. The result
built with some kind of matrix…You want was a full-bodied, hoppy IPA with only 95 calories, 3.6 grams of carbs,
1 gram of protein, and 0 grams of fat per 12 oz serving—something that
to build a beer with a destination in mind was absolutely unheard of when it was first brewed.
[with] the recipe being the map—not with
the destination unknown and, “Hey look, I
PHOTO: COURTESY DOGFISH HEAD

Any advice for homebrewers who want to try brewing a lighter

built a map, and this is where I ended up!” IPA at home using monk extract?
In the case of this beer, in particular, that A little goes a long way.
was certainly heavy on our minds. We’ve
Slightly Mighty is still an IPA, after all—what can you tell us
got to make sure that this isn’t nothing about the hop varieties and the hopping process for it?
but the bitter, green hop. Not what we For homebrewed iterations, I would focus on tropical Northwest hop
were trying to do. styles such as Ciara and Galaxy.

CRAFTBEERANDBREWING.COM | 69
The Accelerating
IPA EVOLUTION

Dialectic of IP
More juice, but with more bite—East Coast and West Coast are synthesizing, read the newfound
again, right before our eyes. How did we get here? And what’s next? treasures. BridgePort
Drew Beechum walks us through the IPA battles and evolutions. IPA was like a bridge
between the English influence on the East
GIVEN THE WONKY NATURE of beer Skipping over the bulk of IPA’s existence, Coast (courtesy of influential brewers such
enthusiasts, it shouldn’t be surprising that I would note that many who try to pinpoint as Alan Pugsley) and the drier, brighter style
we’ve laid a procrustean taxonomy over the first American IPA usually overlook that would develop on the West Coast.
our pursuit and understanding of beer. To Ballantine IPA, which was still being brewed East Coast IPAs we knew then were
be able to name a thing is to understand even as the first microbreweries appeared. nothing like today’s New England hazies.
it. Yet the very nature of drawing chalk The first “new” American IPA appears to They had a larger malt backbone and big
outlines around a beer fixes it in place have been the invention of Bert Grant’s sad- fruity esters—more like souped-up British
instead of recognizing the messy process ly defunct Yakima Brewing & Malting. ESBs. BridgePort IPA had a restrained hop
through which our pint has evolved. Style Grant’s IPA—followed shortly by a bitterness, but it was a drier beer. Not bone-
definitions butt up against each other; revised Anchor Liberty and others—fea- dry and hard—not yet—but with less chew.
terminologies and meanings shift. Our tured mounds of the new hotness in hops: The beer that really set my nose a-twirl—
delicious subjects loop and whirl around Cascade. I think this is where we see the and provided a new understanding of what
and away from those little numbers we’ve first glimpse of the ever-changing nature IPA could be—was Steelhead Bombay
attached to them, caring little for our of American IPA. Remember, until recent- Bomber, developed by Teri Fahrendorf in
attempts to capture them in bottles. ly—and certainly true of the early 1980s the early 1990s in Eugene, Oregon. It was
Looking at the leader of the craft pack— when Bert Grant was making his Cas- a big, bold, brisk beer that screamed of
the IPA—clearly shows this process in cade-heavy IPA—American hops produc- Chinook—and most importantly, no crys-
play, especially accelerating over the past tion was heavily focused on generating the tal malt. That beer was such a smash that
decade. Even the venerable Beer Judge most alpha acid and highest yield per acre. members of my club made it their mission
Certification Program (BJCP)—those Aroma and flavor were afterthoughts. to crack its code, talking with pub brewers
adjudicators on high for homebrewed Now, it seems as if you can’t go a day to glean its secrets. It was almost 60 IBUs,
beer styles—has thrown in the towel without finding a new hop variety in your dry, refreshing, and it screamed of hops.
on the idea of a single meaning for that local IPA. We can thank Bert Grant for that. You want to know where West Coast IPA
money-printing acronym. If you look at really came from? Teri has a pretty good
the latest guide, including the “provision- A Clear-Eyed Look argument as one of the tent poles.
al” styles, there are 11 different variants at the Early IPAs Another I want to mention was con-
outlined, including a grab-all category to My own experiences with IPA began in the sidered the meanest, bitterest beer of the
cover things they haven’t thought of yet Boston area in the early 1990s. Harpoon time—Anderson Valley Hop Ottin’ IPA.
(i.e., no milkshake IPA category). IPA was one of the beers I credit with get- When I first encountered it in the late
How did we get here, and how is the ting me into craft in the first place. It was 1990s, the bartender waved me off. You’re
style looping back on itself? 1993, and their IPA was a revelation: bright, not going to like it! Too bitter! Too strong.
I won’t go far into the historical back bitter, assertive—and to my college-aged And he was right—it was too bitter, too
story of IPA—that morass of half-truths, mind, the higher alcohol didn’t hurt either. strong—but I loved it anyway, and the gi-
lies, and drunkenness. Years of dedicated Harpoon IPA stood out in a field of maltier ant pile of Columbus hops it threw at us.
writers trawling brewery logs and news- amber-colored ales at the time. Little did we know, a shooting match
papers for actual research haven’t cleared When I moved west in 1996, I made regu- was about to begin.
the picture all that much. If anything, the lar pilgrimages to Portland to enjoy a better
research of folks such as Ron Pattinson, beer scene than what I found in Los Ange- The IBU Wars and
Martyn Cornell, and Peter Symons has les. There I discovered my favorite thing the Death of Crystal Malt
made it very clear that such styles were to do—shop at the wonder that is Powell’s So, we had maltier East Coast variants and
aggravatingly variable based on complex Books, buy a ton of books, and wander over drier, more assertively bitter West Coast
formulae of taxation laws, ingredient avail- to BridgePort Brewing. I’d sit on the dock ones. Those were the battle lines before the
ability, and the force of lunar tides. with my best friend, drink a few pints, and early 2000s, when Pliny first appeared.

70 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

 bigger, meaner beers out there, but none
combined the ubiquity and potency that
was found in Ruination.
Gradually, as hop levels climbed
and expressing that character became
paramount, the maltier, more barley-
wine-esque style of double IPA began to
recede. Brewers focused on pulling back
the chewier malts, favoring the still-rich
character they got from overloaded mash
tuns. They simplified the grain bills—
more pilsner and pale malts—and crystal
malt became a pariah. Sugar also played
a larger role in producing drier beers that
were more capable of pushing hop’s sting.
Meanwhile, the formerly frowned-upon
“macrobrewer” tool of hop extracts be-
came a practical way to avoid beer loss to
masses of vegetation.

Toward Juicier Flavors

As with all moves to the extremes, even-
tually, pugnacious approaches became
tiring. You have only so many taste buds,
after all, and where’s the fun in drinking
beer after beer that tastes of bitter pine
resin—particularly when that’s no longer
braced with a sturdy malt backbone?
The response started a trend that contin-
ues to this day. Brewers began experiment-
ing with newer ways to push hop flavor
and aroma, with less bitterness. Helping
this trend was an influx of new hops bred
for bigger aroma. Remember: Back in the
day, growers focused on maximizing alpha
acids and crop yield. There wasn’t much
need for interesting aromatics when you
were distilling the bittering compounds for
the biggest lager breweries.
The first wave of new hops—Simcoe,
Amarillo, Citra—reinvigorated IPAs, giving
us whole new profiles to play with. (Turns
out, you can only taste so many combi-
nations of Chinook, Cascade, Columbus,
and Centennial.) Citra, in particular, was
Russian River’s Pliny the Elder was far more attention to bitterness—and putting a big winner, with flavors of citrus and
from the first strong or double IPA, but the IBU levels on the labels. Before, that pineapple. It continues to be the top craft-
it captured drinkers’ attention for just measure was only useful for recipe pur- hop crop in Yakima. Subsequent waves of
how potently bitter and dry yet drinkable poses. Suddenly, it became a marketing hops—including some from the Southern
the beer was. That was the birth of the tool and a badge of honor. Hemisphere—have sustained that push for
modern double IPA concept. The game “This beer has 80 IBUs!” flavors and aromas over bitterness.
was on to see who could make it bigger, “Mine has 100 IBUs!” This movement is perfectly encapsulat-
bolder, better. (For the record, Pliny is still “This one is 10% ABV and has 320 IBUs ed in one of my local favorites, Beachwood
my standard—it’s stupidly easy to drink, calculated!” Amalgamator IPA. Julian Shrago, Beach-
despite being a hop bomb.) Never mind that few brewers actually wood BBQ & Brewing’s cofounder and
PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES/WWW.MGRAVESPHOTO.COM

What set beers such as Pliny apart was measured their IBU levels, instead relying brewmaster, says he formulated the beer
that they were demonstrably IPAs—tur- on calculations developed for very specific when Mosaic first appeared as an experi-
bo-charged, hop-forward, and drinkable. purposes and specific systems. Why let mental hop. The multiple flavors found in
If you think various arguments about the reality get in the way of marketing? that one hop fascinated him.
hazy IPA have been bad, you probably The IBUs-at-all-cost race reached its According to Shrago, the original brewpub
missed the geeky clashes over whether most available apotheosis in the form of versions in the early 2010s were aggressive-
double IPA was really just another name a gargoyle—specifically, Stone Ruination. ly bitter, pushing more than 80 IBUs. As
for barleywine. (Those were fun.) That beer evolved into such a tongue-coating Beachwood expanded and opened a produc-
For the next decade, as craft climbed out experience that it was almost impossible tion facility, Shrago retooled the beer, soft-
of the 1990s crater, brewers began paying to taste anything afterward. There were ening the bitterness and emphasizing later

CRAFTBEERANDBREWING.COM | 71
Beachwood
MAKE IT whirlpool additions (though not taking it However, recall that the IBU Wars
as far as some breweries by removing all came and went. Are the Aroma Wars

Amalgam-
boil additions). The updated version of already fading, giving way to a new/old
Amalgamator is still plenty bitter, but also sort of balance? It may be happening, as

ish IPA
richer and rounder, with a more complete brewers find new techniques to extract
and deliciously baffling Mosaic profile. oil from fewer hops (hey, they’re expen-
sive!) while minimizing hop burn from
The Rise of Haze excess tannins and other compounds.
As West Coast brewers began edging
Based on my discussions with Julian back the bitterness and new fruit- The Loopback Effect
Shrago of Beachwood Brewing, here’s forward hops began appearing on the Vectors of influence are myriad. Hazy,
a homebrew-scale recipe for something market, IPA was about to be toppled by New England–style IPA has now influ-
Amalgamator-like—snappy, brisk, and Heady Topper and its offspring. enced brewers around the world—includ-
brimming with Mosaic hops. The short version of that story: John ing those on the West Coast. Inevitably, it
Kimmich learned from Greg Noonan of has also left its mark on West Coast IPA.
ALL-GRAIN the Vermont Pub & Brewery that there Both Shrago and Green Cheek’s Evan
wasn’t anything wrong with a bit of haze Price have modified their approach over
Batch size: 5.5 gallons (20.8 liters) in their IPA as long as it tasted great. At time.
Brewhouse efficiency: 71% the Alchemist, Kimmich later created At Beachwood, Shrago made a decisive
OG: 1.062 Heady Topper with that notion in mind. move to lower the bitterness. At Green
FG: 1.014 It became a sensation, with enthusiasts Cheek Beer in Orange County, Brewer and
IBUs: 70 driving from all over New England to get Cofounder Evan Price went on more of a
ABV: 6.3% this beer that said, “Drink from the Can.” journey. He says his IPAs started aggres-
The beer was unique—soft, with large sively harsh, laden with a gypsum bite
MALT/GRAIN BILL fruity tones. It was unlike other IPAs that drove things down. Over time, they
13 lb (5.9 kg) two-row pale at that time, finding new ways to push wobbled softer, bringing them more in line
4 oz (113 g) honey malt forward that hop flavor and aroma. We with that fruitier, softer edge of the hazies.
also shouldn’t understate the influence However, both Shrago and Price dis-
HOPS SCHEDULE of that haze, and of that can. covered that they couldn’t leave the bitter
0.5 oz (14 g) Mosaic [12.5% AA] at FWH Shaun Hill’s star at Hill Farmstead also nature of the West Coast IPAs behind.
0.4 oz (11 g) Warrior [16% AA] at ascended, then came Tree House, Trilli- Instead, they’ve modified it—to still
60 minutes um, Other Half, and others. Tastes began have an overpowering aroma, but with a
0.25 oz (7 g) Columbus [15% AA] at to change, coevolving with a more visual more resolute bite.
15 minutes flavor of social media. Instagram dis- Could this be another unification
0.25 oz (7 g) Amarillo [8.6% AA] at played images of colorful cans and Teku point, like the previous East/West
15 minutes glasses brimming with glowing orange détente? Can you combine a huge
2.75 oz (78 g) Mosaic [12.5% AA] at light. The word “juicy” became almost as fruit-forward front—rich, round, and
whirlpool for 20 minutes meaningless as the word “balanced.” bursting—with a crisp, bitter back end
6.5 oz (184) Mosaic [12.5% AA] at dry hop IPA purists raged against the haze and that clears the way for your next juicy
for 7 days debated the merits of the craftsmanship, sip? We already have some affirmative
but it didn’t matter—the public still couldn’t answers—just see some of the IPA
YEAST get enough of the stuff. Bright, wildly reviews (page 79), or the Brewer’s Per-
White Labs WLP001 California Ale labeled (and pricey) 4-packs of cans have spective of Connor Casey of Cellarmaker
funded more than a few rapid ascents. on “West Coast Hazy” (page 73).
DIRECTIONS If there is a new arms race, it’s in mea- Whatever the next steps in the evolu-
Mill the grains and mash at 150°F (66°C) suring pounds of dry hops. Ludicrous tion of IPA might be, let’s try to remem-
for 60 minutes, aiming for a mash pH of amounts of Mosaic, Citra, and Galaxy ber that none of this happens without
5.3. Raise the temperature to 168°F (76°C) go into the whirlpool, the primary, the those new hop varieties or without the
for 10 minutes, then mash out. Lauter secondary—anywhere you can, except push by brewers such as Bert Grant for
and sparge as necessary to obtain about 7 the boil—all in the drive to extract maxi- better aroma. Consider raising your next
gallons of wort—or more, depending on mum oil and minimal bitterness. glass of IPA to Mr. Grant.
your evaporation rate. Boil for 60 minutes,
adding hops according to the schedule. At
knockout, use lactic acid as necessary to

Recall that the IBU Wars came and went.

adjust the pH to 5.14. Conduct a whirl-
pool, adding the hops when the tempera-
PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES/WWW.MGRAVESPHOTO.COM

Are the Aroma Wars already fading, giving

ture has dropped to 188°F (87°C), then

way to a new/old sort of balance? It may be

continue whirlpooling for 20 minutes.
Chill the wort to 65°F (18°C), aerate well,

happening, as brewers find new techniques

and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 67°F
(19°C), adding the dry hops after primary,
and dry hop for 7 days. to extract oil from fewer hops (hey, they’re
expensive!) while minimizing hop burn
from excess tannins and other compounds.
72 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING
West Coast
BREWER’S PERSPECTIVE

Haze
Characteristics
of West Coast
Hazy IPA
▪ Lighter-bodied, dry finish, minimal
residual sugar
▪ Hazy in appearance, not milky
Does the world really need another variety of IPA? What if it were already here?
▪ Hop-derived (not yeast-derived)
aromas similar to NEIPA
Connor Casey, cofounder of Cellarmaker Brewing in San Francisco, sketches ▪ Bitterness somewhere between an
out what may be the next inevitable evolution of the style. NEIPA and a West Coast IPA
To elaborate on those characteristics
WHEN WE CONSIDER THE MANY IPA subcategories that have flourished in the a bit further:
past decade, I find it surprising that some hybrid of West Coast and New England– ▪ The body is similar to what some
style IPA hasn’t been discussed more in depth. Think of all those brewers using large now refer to as California IPA or
amounts of fruit puree, enzymes to aggressively dry out the beer, milk sugar, vanilla, even a lager. A hazy beer is not al-
and even coffee—we as an industry have certainly pushed the limits (and fantastical- ways thick. This may throw people
off, but the availability of thousands
ly so) of the consistently most in-demand style of beer. of London III bombs will do that.
Personally, when I drink IPA, I am looking for ▪ Haze brings softness to beer. You
intense aroma—trying to capture the same can achieve bitterness and softness
experience we have when cracking open a fresh simultaneously, which is kind of
bag of killer T-90 pellets. In addition, I want cool.
medium-plus bitterness (55–80 IBUs) and hop

Things to
flavor that is some combination of resinous

Consider When
pine and tropical fruit.
I do not like sweet IPA at all. In fact, I
despise it.
Brewing a West
Coast Hazy
So, let’s go back. It’s 2013, and hoppy beer
looks like this: Heady Topper is the gold
standard for NEIPA (and is getting us all
stoked about 16-ounce cans); Treehouse ▪ Certain hop varietals (especially
is still brewing on a 7-barrel system and Australian and New Zealander
filling growlers; Tired Hands is pioneering varieties) can leave more haze than
obscure and beautiful culinary IPAs; and others.
people speak of Hill Farmstead beers as ▪ A tall, skinny fermentor can clear a
beer that would have stayed hazy
if they have been to Narnia and back to in a fatter, shorter one.
obtain this magical liquid. On the West ▪ If your drinkers are dead set on
Coast (specifically, northern California), full-bodied, estery, hazy IPA, this
we’re drinking Ballast Point Sculpin and will be different to them and may be
Russian River Blind Pig: clear, bitter, and perceived as “thin.” I personally like
beautifully aromatic. a leaner-bodied IPA.
Locally, most brewers found what was
▪ I’ve been told that people brewing
with White Labs WLP001 California
happening back East to be some sort of Ale or equivalents (we use Giga-
fad, and they scoffed at it. The only hazy Yeast’s Norcal strain) have trouble
IPA from the West Coast I drank before 2013 keeping their beers hazy. Exper-
was Alpine’s Nelson, a beer that holds a special imentation with haze-inducing
place in the hearts of many California brewers and grains and hop dosages may be
needed to keep a West Coast hazy,
beer fans, myself included. I’ll never forget getting well, hazy.
growlers of Nelson back in 2010 and seeing how intensely
This is worth noting: If you need to make
hazy it was—an appearance that, back then, was jarring. a hazy beer (i.e., the beer you are making
Then you smelled and tasted the beer, and it was one of the is branded as “hazy”), these beers will
best IPAs you’d ever had, appearances aside. Sante Adairius occasionally drop clear or clearer than
also was making unfiltered West Coast IPAs as early as 2012. you may want. This means that if you
When we opened Cellarmaker in 2013, hazy IPA was still were to submit beer to any of the “hazy
sacrilege to most other brewers in our area, and it remained IPA” festivals that began occurring on
the West Coast around 2016, you would
that way until well into 2015. Our Head Brewer and really need to guarantee haze. That
Cofounder Tim Sciascia and I were not opposed to would mean using an estery English
making hazy IPAs, and we had certainly en- strain, and not the California ale yeast, to
joyed them. However, we were also opening ensure that you weren’t sending clear
a brewery on the West Coast, and we felt beer to a haze fest.
that consumers would want mostly clear

CRAFTBEERANDBREWING.COM | 73
 and bitter. We were inspired by what was happening back East

Cellarmaker Kiln-
MAKE IT though, and we wanted our beers to have those beautiful tropical
characteristics—and yet still have the bitterness that we feel

ing Me Softly IPA

is necessary in IPA. We certainly didn’t want to drop the IBUs
down to 40, but a nice, assertive-but-not-tongue-numbing 50–70
IBUs range seemed appropriate.
To achieve the aromas we were finding in these East Coast beers,
According to Connor Casey, cofounder of Cellarmaker, “This we decided to up the dry-hopping rates significantly. The norm
West Coast Hazy IPA is brewed with the best hop varieties seemed to be 1 to 1½ pounds per barrel, and we really wanted to
America has to offer: Mosaic, Citra, Strata, and Simcoe. Bril- give this 3 to 4 pounds-per-barrel dry-hop business a shot. Let’s get
liant aromatics match saturated hop flavor, balanced by a soft this beer to smell amazing … from like five feet away. The aromatic
mouthfeel. [It’s] supremely drinkable due to the slender body, experience while consuming a hoppy beer is damn near as fun as
semidry finish, and avoidance of sweet esters.” actually drinking it. A side effect of these massive dry-hopping rates
was hop haze—not a milky beer by any means, but a light haze. We
ALL-GRAIN were using a fair amount of fining agents (1.5 liters of Biofine per
10-barrel batch) in these beers, but they were still exhibiting signifi-
Batch size: 5.5 gallons OG: 1.064 cant levels of haze. That haze also brought a softer mouthfeel.
(20.8 liters) FG: 1.010 A key point: We used

Commercial
Brewhouse IBUs: 50 California ale yeast, aka
efficiency: 75% ABV: 7% the Chico strain. It’s

Examples of
what we knew, it’s what

West Coast Hazy

MALT/GRAIN BILL we could “borrow”
11.75 lb (5.3 kg) two-row pale from other breweries
1.75 lb (794 g) flaked oats in our first year when
3.2 oz (91 g) Crystal 15 we were short on cash, ▪ Any Cellarmaker IPA (San Francis-
and it’s a strain that co, California) that doesn’t mention
HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE contributes very little in “expressive yeast” and isn’t crystal clear.
0.25 oz (7 g) Citra [13% AA] at 30 minutes the way of flavor—i.e., Currently about 80 percent of our IPA
1.5 oz (43 g) Citra [13% AA] at whirlpool (see below) it’s neutral, and it leaves production is made to be West Coast
3 oz (85 g) Mosaic [13.5% AA] at whirlpool (see below) plenty room for the hazy.
3 oz (85 g) Simcoe, dry hop on Day 7 hops to rip!
▪ All the IPAs from Sante Adairius Rustic
Ales (Capitola, California)
3 oz (85 g) Mosaic, dry hop on Day 7 Something that really ▪ Green Cheek Reverse Engineered IPA
2 oz (57 g) Strata, dry hop on Day 8 plays into the selection (Orange, California)
2 oz (57 g) Citra, dry hop on Day 8 of that yeast for West ▪ Modern Times Clear and Present Dank-
Coast haze is hop sourc- ness (San Diego, California)
YEAST ing. We go through a ▪ Highland Park Brewery Partly Cloudy
(Los Angeles, California)
Gigayeast GY001 NorCal Ale #1 ton of effort to source
the best hops the world
DIRECTIONS has to offer. It felt like using any estery yeast would be a step back-
Mash the grains at 152°F (67°C) for 45 minutes. Vorlauf for a ward from trying to express the raw character of those hops. With
few minutes to remove most of the big chunks of grain but any expressive yeast, those hops will show themselves so different-
otherwise stay turbid, then run off into the kettle. Lauter and ly—and, in my opinion, muddled. Am I getting X fruit flavor from
sparge to obtain about 7.5 gallons (28 liters) of wort. Boil for 75 the Strata hops or from the yeast? If there is a fruity flavor from my
minutes and whirlpool, adding hops according to the sched- yeast in every beer, isn’t that repetitive?
ule. Add whirlpool hops once the wort is below 200°F (93°C) We never set out to make hazy beer, plain and simple. It just sort
but above 180°F (82°C). After whirlpooling, chill the wort to of happened while we were on our aromatic mission. Because we
slightly below fermentation temperature, about 63°F (17°C). were not using an expressive English yeast strain, these beers had
Aerate the wort and pitch healthy yeast. (If possible, make a little-to-no yeast character in the way of the pure hop character they
yeast starter the day before.) were exhibiting. We pared our grain bills down from other West
Ferment at 66°F (19°C) and no higher than 68°F (20°C). Coast IPAs, which had a fair amount of crystal malt. Ours were
Raise the temperature to 72°F (22°C) once the beer is about closer to that of lagers.
two-thirds through fermentation (at about 1.028), typically on I’ll never forget when we were five or six months old, and a
Day 3 or 4. Dry hop until the beer passes a forced diacetyl test taproom regular approached me and said, “Hey, I think I really
(see “Hunting for Diacetyl,” beerandbrewing.com), then cold- like the hazier beers you’re making, and it’s been about a month.
condition until it is less turbid but still hazy and soft. When’s the next one coming out?” That stopped me dead in
my tracks. I knew the guy well enough, and he wasn’t a trend
PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES/MGRAVESPHOTO.COM

BREWER’S NOTES chaser. He just made an assessment that he personally preferred

At Cellarmaker, we’ve had very little trouble keeping beers the beers with a hazier appearance to those that were clear. Fair
hazy with the NorCal strain, but that has not been true for enough! Nothing is more important than your instincts and the “Do
others. If you experience minimal haze with this recipe, you you like it?” factor when drinking/eating anything. Never let other
could experiment with hazier strains, but ferment on the people tell you what you “should” like.
cooler side to restrain ester production. Ultimately what you drink (and brew) should be about your
preferences more than anything else. To us, this is a style that
brings out the best of the two leading styles of IPA on the market
in a way that is unique enough to be defined as its own thing. 

74 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

Hazy Triple IPA:
BREWER’S PERSPECTIVE

Reuben’s
MAKE IT

Bigger and Juicier Triple Crush

This homebrew-size recipe is based on
Adam Robbings of Reuben’s Brews on the keys to successfully brewing the fast-selling triple IPA from Reuben’s
high-gravity hazy IPAs—and they don’t start with hops. Brews. Emphasize yeast health with a
big starter, generously dry hop, then give
OUR MOST POPULAR HAZY IPA is finishing gravity—the beer can’t be overly it enough time to cold condition.
no middleweight. Reuben’s Triple Crush sweet. Higher ABV adds body—with a
is what we call a triple IPA, and it checks higher terminal gravity—so drinkability for ALL-GRAIN
in at 10 percent ABV. It has won a number these styles can be difficult. To help achieve
of awards, including gold at the U.S. Open this, we mash low—148°F (64°C)—and Batch size: 5.5 gallons (21 liters)
in 2019 and 2018. Recent batches have sold add some corn sugar to bump up the ABV Brewhouse efficiency: 75%
out in less than an hour upon release. without increasing the body. OG: 1.092
As with all new beer recipes, there are FG: 1.016
always some key initial decisions you Hops IBUs: 50
need to make to start off the recipe pro- Notice that hops are third in the list of ABV: 10%
cess. We first focus on what we consider decisions for formulating a triple IPA. We
the key concepts for that style—those believe that yeast selection, yeast health, MALT/GRAIN BILL
choices that need to be made to drive the and managing attenuation are the most 14 lb (6.4 kg) German pilsner
recipe formulation process. important factors in a successful triple IPA. 1.25 lb (567 g) flaked oats
Here are what we consider to be those But hops are obviously fundamental, too. 12 oz (340 g) white wheat malt
key decisions you need to make to brew a A bigger ABV provides a malt backbone 8 oz (227 g) wheat flakes
full, smooth, aromatic, and flavorful hazy that can handle more hop intensity because 2 oz (57 g) honey malt
triple IPA. it has more sweetness to balance that out.
This means that the sheer quantity of the HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE
Yeast Selection and Health dry hops can be a lot higher—in fact, it needs 1 lb (454 g) corn sugar at 10 minutes
Often, key decision points driving success to be a lot higher to be able to stand out over 2 oz (57 g) Citra [13% AA] at flame-out
for recipe formulation aren’t obvious. For the big malt body. We dry hop triple IPAs in 14 oz (197 g) Citra [13.0% AA] at dry hop
hazy IPAs, the first key decision point the range of six-plus pounds per barrel.
isn’t about hops—it’s about yeast. The At this large dry-hop level, hop burn is YEAST
ester profile, stable haze, and smooth a real risk. We give our triple IPAs longer Wyeast 1318 London Ale III, Omega
mouthfeel all define hazy IPAs, and those cold conditioning in the tank to help OYL-011 British Ale V, Imperial A38
really benefit from specific yeast strains. round out any hop bite. Juice, or similar
Our preferred choice is London III. As for hop selection, at this level of dry
High-ABV beers stress your yeast im- hop, almost any variety will have enough DIRECTIONS
mensely. You therefore need a very healthy total oil to create a stable polyphenol haze. Adjust your water profile to ensure a
and large-enough pitch, ideally fresh from In terms of hop profile, this style is all about mash pH of 5.3 and a chloride-to-sulfate
being harvested off a starter or other low- rich tropical fruit and soft, rounded hop ratio of 3:1. Mash the grains at 148°F
er-ABV beer. Yeast viability and vitality are key character that melds with the soft mouthfeel (64°C) for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until the
to having a clean and complete fermentation. and light bitterness. Make sure the varieties runnings are clear, then run off into the
you select align with this overall character. kettle. Sparge the grains and top up as
Drinkability We should also discuss isomerization. necessary to obtain 6 gallons (22.7 liters)
The next key decision for a triple IPA is From our lab testing, at these high levels of wort—or more, depending on your
based around terminal gravity. Your atten- of dry hopping, we need to assume that we evaporation rate. Boil for 60 minutes,
uation needs to get the beer to a drinkable get about 25 IBUs from the dry hopping adding the corn sugar and hops according
alone. So, if we want a 50-IBU beer—which to the schedule. Whirlpool for 10 minutes.
is our general target for this style—from After the boil, chill the wort to about
the hot side we’re looking for only 25 IBUs. 67°F (19°C). Aerate the wort and pitch
This severely limits your hot-side additions, a big, healthy yeast starter. Ferment at
and that may mean using lower whirlpool 69°F (21°C). After primary fermentation
temperatures to minimize isomerization, if is complete, add the dry hops for three
you’re looking to add a larger whirlpool ad- days. Ensure a full diacetyl rest in case
dition. For Triple Crush, we get about half of refermentation—if possible, test for
our bitterness by adding hops at flame-out, VDK levels (see “Hunting for Diacetyl,”
followed by a relatively short whirlpool. beerandbrewing.com). Crash to 38°F
(3°C) or lower for at least a week, then
By focusing on these three key areas when package and carbonate.
formulating a hazy triple IPA recipe, I
believe you are setting yourself up for a
great chance of success.

CRAFTBEERANDBREWING.COM | 75
More of the
FLAVOR FEVER

Flavors We
Love: Fruit &
Spice in IPAs
Hops can smell like other foods because they share many of the same
brew with, it has to play nice with the
hops. Fortunately, the flavor chemistry of
aroma compounds. Here is Randy Mosher, author of Radical Brewing hops offers bountiful possibilities.
and Mastering Homebrew, on how to pack more character into your IPA
by using ingredients with those sought-after traits. Deconstructing the
Desired Aromas
NO QUESTION, PEOPLE LOVE IPAs. the end of the 19th century, contact with Hops are one of the most aromatically com-
A prime reason is that they are supreme wood was the norm because there wasn’t plex botanicals that we know, with hundreds
showcases for the heady aromatics of much else to put beer into. of different compounds responsible for their
hops: resin, pine, herbs, citrus, stone fruit, Adding fruits and seasonings to IPA, attractive bouquet. They get a lot of their
tropical fruit, and more. As most of this however, is new. This market trend started floral, citrus, pine, and herbal aromas from
vocabulary describes food, a question aris- about 2010 with citrus versions. Being hydrocarbons called terpenoids. Amazingly
es: If these food flavors are so delicious in so driven by hop flavors, IPAs offer both widespread across the plant kingdom, the
IPAs, why don’t we just add them directly? challenges and opportunities for creative terpenoids in hops also occur in a huge
Despite some purists out there, many brewers—but whatever they decide to range of herbs, spices, flowers, and fruit—
brewers have done exactly that.
Adding “other” things to beer besides

A Closer Look at a Handful of

the Reinheitsgebot trio of malt, hops, and
water is a practice that must be as old as
beer itself. In most places, for centuries,
Hop-Aroma Compounds
PHOTOS: MATT GRAVES/WWW.MGRAVESPHOTO.COM

brewers have used any and every handy

thing to add flavor and satisfy local tastes.
Fruit would either spike the alcohol with Chemical Aroma Characteristics Sources
extra fermentable sugars or add seasonal,
local flavors. Spices were widespread early Linalool orange/citrus, spice, floral, wood bergamot, lavender, coriander, thyme
on; hops didn’t make it to the brewery Geraniol sweet floral, citrus, fruity rose, citronella, geranium, bay
until about A.D. 900. Today, spices are tra- beta-Citronellol floral, leather, citrus, rosebud geranium, citronella, sage, marjoram
ditional in some Belgian beers and a tool
of creative craft brewers the world over. Myrcene sweet, balsamic, fruity, spicy blood orange, juniper, carrot, allspice
Wood can act as a sort of spice, too. Until Source: Good Scents Company database (thegoodscentscompany.com)

76 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

 Dick Cantwell says, if you overdo things,
you’ll end up with “Grandma’s IPA”—that
is, a little too much of everything, layered
on randomly. Flavors need to be harmo-
nious and properly balanced and to tell a
single story. Flavor notes that stick out can
be distracting or even disrupting. Like blue
notes, it’s okay to have them, but you have
to choose carefully. The added ingredi-
ents have to partner with the hop flavors
already there and nudge them in some new
direction—but push too far, and you’re out
of the style expectations. Also, some hop
aromas can mask or fight others. Gerani-
ol-rich Cascade and related varieties can be
domineering and may dull bright fruity or
citrusy notes. Like jazz, it’s sometimes the
notes you don’t play that matter as much as
the ones you do.
Citrus—including lemons, various orang-
es, mandarins, and tangerines—are very
reliable in terms of delivering their flavor
into the finished beer. Sour/bitter/Seville
oranges are the classic for Belgian witbier
and other historic styles. Lime and especial-
ly grapefruit can be a little more reticent to
show their true character.
You can add citrus peels to the whirlpool
or after fermentation along with the dry
hops, adding aroma and nothing else, with
no acidity altering the balance of the beer,
and no sugar needing to be fermented
out. The zest is preferred, as the white pith
can add a harsh, tannic bitterness that can
detract. Although historic beers often use
especially citrus fruit. The Good Scents blessed with bright tropical notes: mango, dried peel, citrus oils can oxidize into a fur-
Company database (a really cool resource passion fruit, guava, grapefruit, pineapple. niture-polish character, so fresh or frozen
on aroma chemicals) shows more than 200 These have long, hyphenated names and zest is usually a better choice.
natural sources for linalool alone. are usually identified with just their acro- Non-citrus fruit IPAs are out there,
Each hop variety has a specific mix of nyms: 3M4MP (grapefruit), 4MMP (black along with an acidic sub-style typically
aroma chemicals, with a pecking order currant, tropical), 3MH (guava, tropical), employing a combination of kettle sour-
of desirability in today’s marketplace and 3MHA (muscat, passion fruit). ing and the fruit’s natural acidity. Yellow
(see table below for a handful of hop-aroma fruits, especially tropical ones, are more
compounds). Geraniol provides the classic, Reconstructing—with Fruit harmonious with the hops in IPAs than
pungent, floral aroma of Cascade and its Citrus-spiked IPAs are the most wide- red ones such as cherry or raspberry. Man-
“C-hop” cousins—and while that aroma is spread and popular—and the most go, guava, and passion fruit are expensive,
beloved, the market has moved on. Linalo- obvious natural extension of hop flavors. but they are tasty and hop-friendly—no
ol, with its orangey/coriander character, New Belgium had a pretty good hit with wonder they’re the favorites. Pineapple is
is often see as more desirable, while the their Citradelic (tangerine) as did Ballast delicious, but its subtle flavor demands a
lemongrass notes of beta-Citronellol get Point with their Grapefruit Sculpin. Many lot of puree or juice for a great experience.
people excited these days. breweries are currently using common as One challenge for fruit beers is that
Hops—especially the newer tropical- well as more exotic citrus such as yuzu and peoples’ fruit experience is based on 100
and fruit-forward varieties—are lower bergamot, both of which share linalool and percent fruit or juice, while the brewer is
in some of the less desirable terpenoids. other terpenoids with hops. trying to re-create that flavor with perhaps
They also contain small amounts of potent Any beer with specialty ingredients is a 10 percent juice or puree—a tall order.
sulfur-containing compounds called thiols, challenge. As Elysian Brewing Founder Adding acidity is helpful except with

CRAFTBEERANDBREWING.COM
BEERANDBREWING.COM | 77
 Hops get a lot of their floral, citrus, pine, and

2nd Shift
herbal aromas from hydrocarbons called
MAKE IT

terpenoids. Amazingly widespread across

Brewing the plant kingdom, the terpenoids in hops

Sunny Cat
also occur in a huge range of herbs, spices,
flowers, and fruit—especially citrus fruit.
From 2nd Shift Brewing in St. Louis,
Missouri, this brightly flavored,
easygoing hazy IPA—which crushed it in
our blind-panel reviews (see page 88)— super-sour fruits such as passion fruit. rosemary and thyme can add subtle aro-
gets its fruit character from citrus-forward No clear line separates IPA from non- mas without getting into pizza territory.
hops and a hefty dose of tangerine peel. IPA, but if you add acidity and lower Juniper would be perfect—except that
the bitterness, at some point it loses the its resiny aroma compounds are nearly
ALL-GRAIN balance of an IPA and becomes some- insoluble in beer’s watery, low-alcohol
thing different, no matter what you call mix. One early herbal IPA success was
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters) it. A little sweetness may also be helpful, Cantwell’s Elysian Avatar Jasmine IPA,
Brewhouse efficiency: 72% either via mashing techniques or with which brought together jasmine’s per-
OG: 1.066 added lactose, as is sometimes seen in fumey, grape-jelly, wild-beast personas
FG: 1.020 sour fruited IPAs. A dab of vanilla can while clinging to its IPA-ness.
IBUs: N/A do the same, but it turns the fruit into Spruce tips, although hard to source,
ABV: 6% more of a confection. make great IPAs. Rather than smelling
Fruit juices, purees and concentrates of evergreens, they’re fruity/resiny, per-
MALT/GRAIN BILL contain fermentable sugars. They are haps a bit like fresh fig or plum. Geoff
4.8 lb (2.2 kg) Simpsons Golden Promise best added toward the end of fermen- Larson, founder of Alaskan Brewing,
4.4 lb (2 kg) white wheat malt tation, as residual sugars in packaged has long been fascinated with pioneers’
1.9 lb (862 g) flaked oats beer can cause over-pressurized kegs and native peoples’ use of spruce tips as
and exploding cans. Some fruits are a spring tonic rich in vitamin C. Alaskan
HOPS & ADDITIONS SCHEDULE notoriously unstable in beer. Peaches Winter Ale was the original, but more
14 oz (397 g) lactose at 10 minutes and their kin are especially challenging recently they added a Spruce IPA.
2.6 oz (74 g) Amarillo [9.2% AA] at whirlpool because their main aroma compound, Coriander isn’t much use in IPA unless
2.6 oz (74 g) Citra [12% AA] at whirlpool gamma-decalactone, seems to vanish you want to add even more linalool, as
1.8 oz (51 g) Citra at dry hop on Day 3 during even a short fermentation. As a the stuff is loaded with it. However, sage,
1.5 oz (43 g) Amarillo at dry hop on Day 3 fix, it’s often replaced by a little “top- basil, ginger, cardamom, bay, woodruff,
1.5 oz (43 g) dried tangerine peel at dry note” aroma extract, helping achieve a lemongrass, grains of paradise, and pink
hop on Day 4 ripe natural flavor that can be challeng- peppercorns all have their charms—
ing with pure, real fruit alone. alone, in combination with each other,
YEAST or with fruits. Many florals make great
Fermentis SafAle S-04 Reconstructing—with seasonings: chamomile brings a little
Other Botanicals Juicy Fruit; orange blossom glows with
DIRECTIONS Herbs and spices also have a huge over- an ethereal, ripe citrus; heather is fruity
Mill the grains and mash at 157°F (69°C) lap with hop-aroma chemistry; many and balsamic; hibiscus is tart and softly
for 20 minutes, then start vorlauf until the can be superbly harmonious in IPAs. tannic (and begs a philosophical ques-
wort runs clear. Lauter and sparge as nec- Used judiciously, culinary herbs such as tion: can it still be an IPA if it’s pink?).
essary to get about 6.5 gallons (25 liters) Oak chips, when added early in fer-
of wort—or more, depending on your mentation, can morph into subtle vanilla
evaporation rate. Boil for 60 minutes, and add an appealing lushness in hazy/
briefly turning off the heat to add and stir juicy styles, with crisp tannins tightening
in the lactose with 10 minutes remaining. up the finish. Brazilian craft brewers are
After the boil, whirlpool until the wort rightfully fond of woods traditionally
has dropped to 170°F (77°C), then add used for cachaça (sugarcane
whirlpool hops for 30 minutes. Chill to rum) aging, such as amburana
66°F (19°C), aerate well, and pitch the with its complex cinnamon/
yeast. Ferment at 66°F (19°C), adding sassafras character.
dry hops on Day 3 and tangerine
peel on Day 4. On Day 9, crash to In the end, the artful use
36°F (2°C) and condition for 5 days of “abnormal” ingredients
before packaging and carbonating to is a great way to expand the
PHOTO: JAMIE BOGNER

2.4 volumes. delicious universe of IPA possi-

bilities, taking the adventurous
drinker where no hop has
dared to travel before.

78 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

 Tasted
PHOTO: MATT GRAVES/WWW.MGRAVESPHOTO.COM

America’s favorite craft-beer style shows no sign of slowing down, as IPA

continues its arc of dramatic evolution. Here, our blind-review panelists and
editors sampled and reviewed hazy and American-style IPAs,
Double and Triple IPAs, plus fruited IPAs...

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 79
 TASTED: HAZY IPA
INSIDE CB&B

How We Alaskan Bale Breaker

Taste & Test Brewing Brewing Co.
Reviewing beer may sound like
Hazy Bay Hazy L IPA
91 91
a dream job, but our tasting and A RO M A : 10
APPEARANCE: 3
A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3
review panel takes the role seri- F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 18
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
ously. Composed of professional OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9
brewers, certified Cicerones, and
Beer Judge Certification Program
(BJCP) judges who have all studied,
trained, and been tested on their What the brewer says: “Juicy What the brewer says: “Smooth
ability to discern characteristics and flavorful hazy IPA with moderate hop and dry with a moderate bitterness. Dry
in beer, our panel is independent aroma and bitterness.” hopped with Citra, Mosaic, and Sabro.”
and diverse. The panel tastes all What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
beer blindly—they do not know “Subtle, muted tropical fruit: guava, “Dank, diesel, garlic hop notes; hints of
what brands and beers they are
tasting until the tasting is complete. papaya, tangerine, lemon. Clean, crackery onion, green pepper. Light, crackery malt
Our goal is to inform you about malt doesn’t contribute much; moderately and low sweetness blend with smooth
the strengths and weaknesses low sweetness, muted bitterness. Smooth, bitterness, marrying into subdued hop
of these beers as well as their rel- medium-bodied. Finishes dry, some bit- flavor of light grapefruit, diesel, garlic.
ative differences (not everyone terness lingering. Tasty enough, but aroma Light mouthfeel with subtle minerality.
has the same taste in beer, so
accurate descriptors are more Melvin is pretty low for an IPA.”
What our editors thought: “Zesty
High drinkability. Odd choice of hops.”
What our editors thought: “The
Me, Myself
valuable than straight numerical
values). The quotes you see lemon-lime nose, touch of earthy grain. nose cuts with clarity—confidently bright
are compiled from the review
panel’s score sheets to give you a &Thai The sip is soft and fruity yet lean—the
carbonation scrubs any
orange and soft lemon that don’t need
sweetness as a crutch.

99
well-rounded picture of the beer. A RO M A : 12 sweetness for a fruit- The sip is a bit more PNW
APPEARANCE: 3
To add to that snapshot, we also F L AVO R : 20
essence quality rather bitter than Massachusetts
MOUTHFEEL: 4
include a brief review from an OV E R A L L : 10
editor, although that editor’s input than juice. On the sparing sweet, but that bitterness
does not impact the score. side of juicy and hazy.” is gentle and reassuring.”
As our reviewers judge, they ABV: 6% IBUs: 53 ABV: 6.2% IBUs: 40
score based on the standard What the brewer says: “Our brew- Loc: Juneau, Alaska Loc: Yakima, Washington
BJCP components: Aroma (max ers from Alpine and Jackson teamed up to
12 points), Appearance (max 3 make Me, Myself & Thai, a delectable hazy
points), Flavor (max 20 points),
IPA with Sabro, Citra, and Mosaic hops
Mouthfeel (max 5 points), and
Overall Impression (max 10 bursting with tropical flavors. Available American Breakside
points). We’ve listed these individ-
ual component scores, and the
exclusively in the great state of Wyoming.”
What our reviewers thought:
Solera Chase Brewery
bottom-line number is derived
from adding then doubling these
“Bright citrus and floral notes; freshly cut Exotic Dream Pop!
85 91
lemons. In the flavor, massive tropical-fruit A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 12
component scores to produce a APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 2
rating on a 100-point scale. salad—papaya, mango, strawberry, and F L AVO R : 16 F L AVO R : 18
MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 4
Our judges use the following mandarin orange—sweetened with or- OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9

scale in valuing scores: ange-blossom honey; just the right amount

95–100 » Extraordinary of sweetness to offset citrus acidity.
World-class beers of superlative Creamy mouthfeel and fruity flavors domi- What the brewer says: “Full What the brewer says: “Triple-dry-
character and flawless execution nate, with only a subtle bitterness to tether of notes of passion fruit, mango, and hopped hazy IPA.”
90–94 » Exceptional it in the beer world. Very drinkable.” blueberry bliss.” What our reviewers thought:
Distinguished beers with special What our editors thought: What our reviewers thought: “Pellet-like hop aroma with pineapple,
character, style, and flavor
85–89 » Very good “The floral-bordering-on-Noble aroma is “Orange-vanilla Creamsicle aroma; green- tangerine, orange, overripe fruit, and com-
Well-crafted beers with note- unexpected, but the conventional candied grassy hop pellets, garlic/diesel undertones. plementary cannabis. Sweet malt
worthy flavor and style fruit-smoothie flavor is more in line with Slight bready sweetness dominated by profile, with hops in the driver’s
80–84 » Good expectations. Lingers with a banana-Runts orange-peel-hop flavors. Very smooth seat: firm bitterness, with strong
Solid, quality, enjoyable beers Candy-like synthetic-candy sweetness that drinkability. Finish is quite dry. Hop contour tangerine and orange-peel
75–79 » Above Average manages to be endearing.” whacks it out of the ‘drink several’ category.” flavors; also, slightly grassy,
Drinkable and satisfactory beers
with minor flaws or style deviations ABV: 7.5% IBUs: N/A What our editors thought: “Spicy black-pepper notes.”
70–74 » Average Loc: Alpine, Wyoming nose with violet, lemongrass, passion What our editors
50–69 » Not recommended fruit—weird, unexpected, thought: “Classic
Keep one thing in mind as you with an overripe element. orange-and-pine notes,
read these reviews—your percep- The sip is closer to the with citrus amped up and
tion of a beer is more important mean: lightly watery, running roughshod over the
than that of our review panel rough lingering bitterness, trees. Upfront bitterness
or editorial staff, and reading with some redeeming is soft and non-confronta-
reviews in a magazine (or on the
Web or in a book) is no substitute funky fruit.” tional and lingers, scrubbing
for trying the beer yourself. ABV: 7% IBUs: N/A sweetness from the palate.”
Loc: Tulsa, Oklahoma ABV: 6% IBUs: 46
Loc: Portland, Oregon

80 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

Ommegang Calusa Deschutes Firestone
Neon Brewing Brewery Walker
Rainbows Citronious Fresh Haze Citra
95 88 91 92
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 2 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 18
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 3
OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9

What the brewer says: “New En- What the brewer says: “Citronious What the brewer says: “A hazy What the brewer says: “A bold,
gland–style IPA dry-hopped with Mosaic, blasts with the fresh flavor and aromas of twist on your main squeeze, this juice grapefruit-driven citrus bomb with an
Simcoe, Citra, and Topaz hops. A pillowy, citrus, mango, and tropical fruits.” bomb explodes with notes of orange citrus appealing pungent edge.”
hazy, and citrus-forward IPA.” What our reviewers thought: sweetness and a soft malt body.” What our reviewers thought:
What our reviewers thought: “Citrus, pine, dank aromas compete for What our reviewers thought: “Interesting and inviting aroma: tangerine,
“Wonderful notes of mango, mandarin, lem- control; tangerine, grapefruit, hints of grass. “Floral aroma with berries, rhubarb, touch grapefruit, orange, hints of earth and
on, lemongrass, apricot. Flavor has lemony Solid malt backbone, hints of bread and of dried apricot. In flavor, mild caramel onion. Soft, gentle, smooth flavor—malt
crispness, nice punchy flavor; great balance biscuit. Malt and softness couple to mute and bread-crust malt support hops— very subdued; hop flavors of tropical citrus,
of sweet malt with tropical and stone fruit. the hop flavors; they fall to the background. dried fruit, apricots, mango. Moderate light pine, earth, orange peel. Light in
Perfect amount of bitterness. Not weighed Touch of hop burn in the finish. Pleasant sweetness throughout—lingers without body, avoids chalkiness. High drinkability
down by excess body or mouthfeel.” and drinkable, but the aroma is the star.” cloying—fairly low bitterness. Really but finishes on the sweeter side.”
What our editors thought: What our editors thought: interesting. Aroma is supercool.” What our editors thought:
“Citrus and melon with a “Big, bold orange in the What our editors thought: “Haze “Green Gummy bear and light stone fruit
slight musty note. The nose—over the top, with with a 1990s craft throwback nose— on the nose, with a touch of straw. The sip
sip offers clever bits of a touch of light herb. The malty, with more estery is clean, straightforward,
C-hops, sweet malt, and sip is sweet and juicy, fruit notes than hops. with a lean body that’s
a round but slightly rough with a note of almost The sip highlights berry more crush than plush,
bitterness that seems to toasted orange peel and with a bit of orange and for a warm summer
be everywhere at once.” almond.” tropical fruit. Fun in its afternoon.”
ABV: 6.7% IBUs: 45 ABV: 6.5% IBUs: N/A retro-malty simplicity.” ABV: 5.6% IBUs: N/A
Loc: Cooperstown, Loc: Sarasota, Florida ABV: 6.5% IBUs: 45 Loc: Paso Robles,
New York Loc: Bend, Oregon California

Brouwerij Cellarmaker Destihl Foothills

West Wild Goose- Drivin’ That Brewing Fes-
Supercollider berry Chase Haze IPA tival Express
86 98 91 91
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 20 F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 17
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10

What the brewer says: “The worlds What the brewer says: “100% What the brewer says: “Features What the brewer says: “Apricot,
of juicy and dank collide!” Nelson Sauvin Hopped.” pilsner malt, flaked oats, and Vienna malt blueberry, clean citrus, lemon, lime, lychee,
What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: with a chord of Cashmere, Amarillo, and mango, orange, papaya, peach, ruby red
“Milky. Hazy IPA or chai latte? Strong dank “Diverse aromas: black peppercorns, lemon, Simcoe hops.” grapefruit all make an appearance.”
notes with cantaloupe. Juicy bitterness; mushroom, lemongrass, grape must. Aro- What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
flavor has grapefruit, passion fruit, tropical mas weave seamlessly into flavor, with pro- “Complex aroma, mixing West Coast dank “Prominent pineapple, grapefruit, peach
notes. Noticeable dryness; slight aspirin nounced grapefruit pith lingering from front with bright citrus and rich stone fruit. In- candy, apricot aroma; lemongrass and
astringency. There is lushness, but this beer to back. Soft sweetness lifts the fruity grape stead of nice, subtle tastes to complement bready malt in background. Light biscuit
is a victim of excess and youth: hops were character. Bitterness is a bit restrained, the aroma—rich, almost umami malti- sweetness up front, quickly going to
crammed in but not given enough time.” allowing the vinous notes to linger.” ness. Distinct sweetness balances diverse moderately strong bitterness. Dominated
What our editors thought: What our editors thought: “Dry, fruity flavors and hop-bitter dankness. by pine, grapefruit, grassy hops. A touch
“Warm citrus and cool, dank funk tussle pungent, woody, tannic, almost gueuze-like, Malt sweetness lasts.” thin. Easy drinking, pale-ale-like feel.”
in the bright, bold nose, with subtle mid-tone vinous What our editors What our editors thought: “Nose
underpinned by white notes underneath. The sip thought: “Layered balances fruit esters of blueberry, apricot
pepper. The sip brings is dry, with nary a stray nose—lemon-lime seltzer, with grainy, toasty, almond
indoor voices, toning Plato to be found. Thought- peach smoothie, dank malt note. The sip is thin,
down the brash energy fully constructed with a weed. Flavor continues with strong bitterness and
and nicely balancing the sophistication not typically with soft notes wrapped in clean finish—less juicy
indulgent fruit.” found in ‘IPA.’” broad, herbal bitterness, than promised.”
ABV: 6.5% IBUs: N/A ABV: 7.1% IBUs: N/A lingering with deep citrus.” ABV: 5.7% IBUs: 35
Loc: Los Angeles, Loc: San Francisco, ABV: 7% IBUs: 55 Loc: Winston-Salem,
California California Loc: Normal, Illinois North Carolina

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 81
TASTED: HAZY IPA

Girdwood Great Divide Hop Butcher Lord Hobo

No Woman Brewing for the World 617 Hazy IPA
No Cryo Hazy IPA Kielbasa King
91 98 97 86
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 20 F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 18
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 2
OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9

What the brewer says: “Our flag- What the brewer says: “A juicy What the brewer says: “Mosaic- What the brewer says: “A perfectly
ship NEIPA has the distinction of being the and balanced mix of citrus hops that bring and Nelson Sauvin–hopped double India balanced malt bill accentuated by some of
first beer brewed with Cryo hops in Alaska.” out the aromatic characteristics of papaya pale ale.” the most beautiful, fruity, and floral hops
What our reviewers thought: and mango and finishes with a hint of ripe What our reviewers thought: to deliver a world-class flavor.”
“Inviting nose of dank earth, peach, mango, strawberries.” “Deep, dank hop forest: catty, garlic, diesel, What our reviewers thought:
mixed berries, pine, green pepper. The What our reviewers thought: shallot, with light grassy notes, citrus, and “Peach and pineapple dominate aroma; light
flavor follows with rich blood-orange and “Smells like freshly picked hops, a mélange peach. Lightly sweet malt balances complex pine, sweet orange, earthy hops. Inviting.
enough perceived tartness to balance of dankness, grapefruit, passion fruit, flavors of grapefruit, mango, with light Low bitterness, slightly sweet but dries out
low-moderate bitterness and tropical pine. Solid malt backbone balanced with grass and hint of garlic. Satisfying, medi- well. Light malt backbone muddles hop com-
sweetness. Heavy-handed malt detracts smooth bitterness. Hop flavors dominate: um-full body. Smooth. Great drinkability.” plexity. Sharp mouthfeel, light astringency.”
from nuances. A bit heavy and full-bodied.” pineapple, pine resin, diesel. West Coast What our editors thought: “Juicy What our editors thought:
What our editors thought: flavor in a hazy IPA. Soft, pillowy mouthfeel. pineapple, mango, papaya, with black pepper “Candied orange and peel aroma with a
“Dehydrated orange and Pleasantly bitter, not harsh or astringent.” and tannic berry; sophisti- toasted quality. The sip is
mango fruit leather on What our editors thought: “Vivid cated yet accessible. Sweet, surprisingly grainy, with
the nose. The sip is bold, fresh-cut grass on the with tropical smoothie notes low-key orange and lime
tropical fruit–forward, with nose. Sip rides a classic that barely steer clear of that don’t get in the way
mango and passion fruit orange-pine line, with cloying thanks to a ground- of ‘beer’ flavor. Accessible
underpinned by bitterness significant bitterness. Old- ed bitterness. Not too sweet for generalists, not
and light funk. Confident school IPA palate meets despite big residual sugar, adventurists.”
and committed.” new-school techniques.” thanks to copious hops.” ABV: 6.17% IBUs: 60
ABV: 7.5% IBUs: 50 ABV: 6.2% IBUs: N/A ABV: 7.5% IBUs: N/A Loc: Woburn,
Loc: Girdwood, Alaska Loc: Denver, Colorado Loc: Chicago, Illinois Massachusetts

Grand Teton Great Notion Maplewood Monday Night

Land of Many Brewing Wild Idaho Here Comes
Waters Juice Invader Nights the Sun
90 93 87 88
A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 16 F L AVO R : 18
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 3
OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9

What the brewer says: “This hazy What the brewer says: “This What the brewer says: “Expect What the brewer says: “Blending
IPA lays down a fruity flavor profile of Southern Hemisphere IPA is brewed with a huge notes of pineapple with hints of six different hops for an abundance of
mango, tangerine, grapefruit, and cherry.” massive amount of Galaxy hops.” dankness.” tropical flavors.”
What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
“Citrus-forward, lightly grassy, dank “Intense tropical aroma: passion fruit, citrus, “Orange Julius aroma, not super intense. “Subdued aroma: grapefruit, lemon,
earth, garlic/onion. Light malt presence; peach, pineapple, tangerine. Strong, per- Almost Noble, European lager-floral tangerine dominate, with subtle pine in
competing flavors of citrus and earth with sistent flavor of grapefruit and pith well sup- crispness. Low notes of peach, pear, onion, the background. Citrus-forward flavor,
a poignant pepper-like spiciness. Light, ported by malt backbone. Great complexity. leek. Light sweetness with some bready, sweet; orange and papaya hop flavors.
chalky minerality. Medium body, smooth Somewhat astringent. Hoppy finish lingers grainy malt flavors. Moderate bitterness Subtle peppery-garlic-like spiciness comes
and solid. The finish is fairly bitter but not for days. Toes the line of harshness. Would in flavor, dominated by garlic hops with through in the finish. A touch chalky, lightly
harsh. A touch of warmth.” have a hard time finishing a whole pint.” touches of sweet mango and peach.” astringent, but smooth.”
What our editors thought: “Light What our editors thought: What our editors thought: What our editors thought:
yet pungent tropical fruit on the nose; “Fruity, woody Chardonnay “Vague lemon, lime, tan- “Tropical-citrus greatest
sweet and intriguing. Gentle but assertive notes with copious green gerine nose, at a level that hits on the nose, in
hop bitterness overshad- tropical fruit. Funk com- wouldn’t be unusual for quick-cut format. Runs
ows the fruitier notes.” petes with fruit. The sip pilsner. Flavor swings for through everything from
ABV: 6% IBUs: N/A offers a quirky bitterness, the fences, with amplified orange to mango to lychee
Loc: Victor, Idaho unsettlingly intense. Weird citrus, confident bitterness, and back again. The sip is
and left field, for the and a satisfying sweet-but- sweeter, with big body and
serious hopheads.” dry effect.” rich malt.”
ABV: 7.2% IBUs: N/A ABV: 7% IBUs: N/A ABV: 7.2% IBUs: 40
Loc: Portland, Oregon Loc: Chicago, Illinois Loc: Atlanta, Georgia

82 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

New Belgium Odd13 QDH Pontoon Tampa Bay
Brewing Codename: Brewing Transmis-
1985 IPA Superfan Wake Zone sion Zero
93 97 90 90
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 19
MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 3
OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9

What the brewer says: “Like totally What the brewer says: “This one is What the brewer says: “Fluffy What the brewer says: “Strata and
loaded with juicy mango flavor, 1985 takes sure to please the hopheads looking for a mouthfeel, fresh tangerine, soft melon and HBC 692 hops make this hazy IPA burst
you back to the future of hazy IPAs.” super drinkable yet complex beer.” papaya notes with a firm pithy bitterness.” with tropical fruit and dank pine.”
What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
“Strawberry, peach, mango, guava domi- “Huge pineapple, orange, lemon, “Aroma leans West Coast: orange, peach, “Aroma: peach, passion fruit, candied
nate aroma. Low bitterness up front allows lemongrass; low vanilla note, hint of light pineapple, dank earth, diesel, and orange, light strawberry, pine. These give
the complex berry and stone fruit to play bread crust. Low sweetness, moderate pine. Low-medium bitterness nicely cuts way to more tart lime, grapefruit pith,
without interference. Almost like hopped bitterness, slight acidity in the finish. the gentle sweetness on soft mouth- pineapple on the palate, with underripe
fruit nectar. Soft mouthfeel. Finishes dry Hop flavors dominate: orange, grapefruit feel. Orange and pineapple give way to raspberry on the tail end. Lingering
and clears your palate quickly, inviting you peel, mango, peach. Lingering bitterness almost-overripe peach mid-palate. Malt tartness. Finishes fairly dry, a bit bitter,
to take another sip.” doesn’t detract from killer aroma. Good seems to mute the finer points yet rounds not harsh or astringent.”
What our editors thought: “Waxy drinkability, solid, summery.” the edges.” What our editors
Lemonhead candy and peach-candy nose. What our editors thought: What our editors thought: “Spicy thought: “Dank weed
The sip brings more soft “Pungent tropical fruit with a spicy floral lemongrass nose plays its cards close. notes intertwine with
peach, with a prominent edge—clean and lean. Soft There’s an economy to the soft berry, stone fruit,
pale-malt note. Zippy carb sip with mellow bitterness sip—unindulgent, only and passion fruit. The sip
provides a bit of bite, but lets the fruit flavors push light residual sweetness— brings the soft fruit notes
it’s quick and easy with forward, yet they do so with fruity notes balanced forward. Wants a touch
minimal contact.” with a bright bite that immediately by a lingering more bitterness in the
ABV: 6.7% IBUs: 30 never feels excessive.” rough bitterness.” finish.”
Loc: Fort Collins, ABV: 6.5% IBUs: N/A ABV: 6.5% IBUs: 57 ABV: 7% IBUs: N/A
Colorado Loc: Lafayette, Colorado Loc: Atlanta, Georgia Loc: Tampa, Florida

North Park Parish Pure Project Three

Infinite Brewing Super Beta Weavers
Content Dr. Juice Even Sassier
96 88 97 94
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 15 F L AVO R : 20 F L AVO R : 18
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 10

What the brewer says: “Hazy IPA What the brewer says: “Aroma and What the brewer says: “A trio of What the brewer says: “Expressive
double dry hopped with Citra, Galaxy, and taste are full of passion fruit, papaya, and New Zealand–grown hops add notes of yeast and brilliantly vibrant hops come
Motueka.” blood orange, making it drink like a glass lemon-lime, mojito, and delicate white wine, together with rye and malted oats.”
What our reviewers thought: of freshly squeezed juice.” along with a hefty addition of Mosaic.” What our reviewers thought:
“Peach, blueberry, mango combination What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: “Ripe strawberry up front; pineapple, lem-
suggests light vanillin complexity. Flavor is “Welch’s Grape on the nose. More tropical “Pine, passion fruit, lemon, fresh-cut flow- on, bread crust. Like diner-style Belgian
enjoyable, with sweet orange, strawberry, as it opens: grapefruit, lemon, papaya, ers emerge to compete with green pepper waffles with strawberries and whipped
lemon, grapefruit pith, and pine. Soft and pineapple, pine. After aroma, flavors and onion; darker berries sneak in to add cream. Moderate bready sweetness, pie-
sweet, low bitterness. Very light hop burn relatively muted. Lush juiciness—lemon, complexity. Malt sweetness complements crust malt. Smooth, creamy mouthfeel. A
on the tail end. Finishes dry and bitter. grapefruit, grape-must, balanced with hop flavor. Moderately bitter, fairly dry. bit on the sweet side, but it works.”
Brings you back for another sip.” earth and pine. Medium-light body. Would Soft, pillowy mouthfeel. Super drinkable.” What our editors thought:
What our editors thought: liven up a summer afternoon.” What our editors thought: “Tight tropical fruit on the nose, implied
“Bright and zippy nose; What our editors thought: “Soft “Creamy, distinct lime zest, sweetness. The sip
touches of herbal zing and melon on the nose, round and gentle. The lemongrass, coconut on offers smoothie-like
light citrus. The sip goes sip is cleaner and brighter— the nose, like Tom Kha Gai. softness—mango,
indulgent, with big orange relatively dry with a soft Semidry sip sits between guava—backed by
notes and herbal-bitter citrus bitterness. Designed New England sweet and tropical bitterness. For a
touches. Fascinating in its for drinking more than West Coast lean, woody beer that’s nowhere near
duality—dry and herbal, one. Contrite and lean but and fruity. Interesting, turbid, it’s remarkably
big and citrus sweet.” pleasing.” engaging.” soft. Enticing.”
ABV: 7.2% IBUs: N/A ABV: 6% IBUs: N/A ABV: 6.5% IBUs: 30 ABV: 7.3% IBUs: N/A
Loc: San Diego, California Loc: Broussard, Louisiana Loc: San Diego, California Loc: Inglewood, California

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 83
 TASTED: HAZY DIPA

WeldWerks Aurora Brew Gentle-

Sabro DDH Super Fresh men Double
Juicy Bits to Death Weapons
98 89 99
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 20
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10

What the brewer says: “...With a What the brewer says: “Loaded What the brewer says: “Double IPA
big dose of coconut, papaya, and pineapple with flaked oats and wheat, DDH Citra and version of Legendary Weapons, made with
coming from double dry hopping with Sabro.” Mosaic pellets, and Cryo.” Citra and Mosaic.”
What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
“Odd profile: cedar, mint, persimmon, with “Competing aromatics of citrus—grape- “Solid orange, pineapple, grapefruit, passion
intense peach and coconut. Evident malt: fruit, lemon, lime, tangerine—and dank, fruit, and mango tropical aroma; bready malt
biscuit, pie crust. More peach in flavor. earthy, vegetal notes of onion, garlic, green supporting. Light honey-vanilla sweetness;
More tropical than citrus. Dry, woody finish, and black pepper, and pine. Nostalgically soft but pronounced hop flavors of orange,
almost musty. Soft, creamy, no rough West Coast. Suitably balanced in flavor, grapefruit, and light garlic. Smooth, creamy.”
edges. Killer job.” but finish carries an astringent grassy What our editors thought:
What our editors thought:
“Softly floral, tropical, touch of coconut; New Anthem bitterness. Soft mouthfeel.”
What our editors thought:
“Sounds crazy to define ‘classic New
England–style,’ but the fresh tropi-citrus
aroma wavers between Beer Project “A fruity cannabis vibe nose and sweet lychee-
Dove soap and creamy tiki
drink. On the sip: citrus Clapback drives the nose; light
tropical-citrus melody over
guava-yuzu body come
close here. Soft, bold,

100
smoothie, woody vibe, A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 3
dank rhythmic riffs. The tropical-tinged bitterness
and light tannic, herbal F L AVO R : 20
MOUTHFEEL: 5 sip is chunky, with thick keeps the fruit sweet-
OV E R A L L : 10
bitterness. Intriguing as it major-key citrus power ness in check without
unfolds.” chords that diminish into flattening the joy.”
ABV: 6.7% IBUs: N/A herbal flourishes.” ABV: 8% IBUs: N/A
Loc: Greeley, Colorado What the brewer says: “(Lac- ABV: 8.5% IBUs: N/A Loc: Pittsburgh,
tose-free) all-Citra double IPA. Tropical pa- Loc: King Ferry, New York Pennsylvania
paya/pineapple/grapefruit hazy. Contains
wheat and oats.”
Westfax What our reviewers thought: Bent Water Burial Beer
Brewing All “Solid grapefruit, lime, tangerine, lychee,
bright orange aroma. Light grassy hints.
Equivalent Anatomical
Together Extra orange in the flavor, creating impres- Exchange Transmutation
91 91 97
A RO M A : 12 sion of heavily hopped OJ—with gentle A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 17 pine and vegetal notes. Solid malt flavor F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 20
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 3
OV E R A L L : 9 and sweetness balance hops well. Smooth, OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 10

approachable bitterness, medium-full

body. Breakfast, anyone?”
What the brewer says: “Collabora- What our editors thought: What the brewer says: “Flavors and What the brewer says: N/A
tion brew for the All Together collab.” “Bright Citra nose—orange, grassy aromas of mango, peach, citrus, and pine What our reviewers thought:
What our reviewers thought: herb, subtle funky undertone—and bold, needles, finishing with a soft mouthfeel.” “Vegetal aroma: dank garlic, diesel, onion,
“Solid tangerine, orange-citrus, sweet body. Big, intense orange and What our reviewers thought: green pepper with pine, orange, and
peach-pineapple—like a glass of sugary orange-smoothie notes on the sip, with a “Restrained aroma: slight tart berry, lemon, grapefruit following. Lightly sweet malt
Dole juice blend; a fuzzy navel. Huge perfectly integrated bitter component that lemongrass, shades of pollen. Citrus flavors backs complex hop flavor that matches the
hop-flavor punch of pineapple, orange echoes in the juice. Intense, fruit-forward with pronounced grassy, dusty character, aromatics. Pleasant, malt-derived sweet-
citrus. Light malt presence, just hints of experience.” pithy bitterness, some lemon underneath. ness rounds things out. Smooth drinking”
bready sweetness. Mouthfeel pretty thin; ABV: 8% IBUs: N/A Healthy mouthfeel. Nice malt sweetness What our editors thought:
carbonation cutting through softness. Loc: Wilmington, North Carolina downplays the suburban backyard flavors.” “Fruity-cannabis-strain notes evoke
Finishes quite dry. Smooth drinkability.” What our editors thought: candied citrus, cinnamon buns with
What our editors thought: “Big “Broadly hoppy nose with orange icing, and overripe fruit withering
soft orange and peach on a perfumey touch—lav- on the vine. Body feels
the nose; just a touch of ender, azalea. Grainy, heavy yet light, with malt
pungent tropical fruit at malt-forward sip, with that’s whisper-quiet but
the end. The sip embraces soft sweetness buffering right where you need it.
the tropical element, with bitterness but standing in Mashing up dank citrus
guava, mango, and papaya the way of anything truly and tropical fruit, the sip
backed by gentle but juicy or fruity.” is thoughtfully controlled.”
consistent bitterness.” ABV: 8% IBUs: N/A ABV: 8.5% IBUs: N/A
ABV: 6.5% IBUs: N/A Loc: Lynn, Massachusetts Loc: Asheville, North
Loc: Lakewood, Colorado Carolina

84 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

Cerebral Green Cheek Moksa Outer Range
Phantom Beer The In Good Brewing
Transmission Other Brian Company Way Down
88 96 95 99
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 16 F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 19
MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 5
OV E R A L L : 8 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 10

What the brewer says: N/A What the brewer says: “We let our What the brewer says: “6.6 lb/ What the brewer says: “This
What our reviewers thought: hand-selected Citra do all the talking in bbl combo of Citra, Galaxy, Idaho 7, and citrusy and dank double IPA is backed with
“Noticeable lemon, apricot on a broad spec- this pale golden elixir.” Vic Secret.” premium British pale malts.”
trum of aromas, including honeysuckle, pink What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
peppercorns, mandarin, and papaya. Those “Moderate tropical aroma: peach, mango, “Medium-intensity tropical notes—over- “Bury your nose in a fresh-cracked bag
carry into the flavor, with a rich malt sweet- orange blossom, subtle pine and earth. ripe pineapple—with dull chives and of hops: moderately dank with pine resin,
ness and restrained but dank bitterness, Inviting. Flavor starts dank, piney, evolving chalky minerality, resin, and pepper. diesel, light citrus. Mild malt sweetness and
which lingers with moldy, metallic tones. into nectar-like stone fruit. Low sweetness Mild bready-sweet malt; firm, assertive smooth, moderate bitterness. Pineapple
Rounded mouthfeel heightens fruity notes.” balanced by smooth, gentle, lingering bitterness. Dank resin, orange peel, garlic, hops flavor dominates, with mango, papaya.
What our editors thought: “Dry bitterness.” and peppery hop in the finish.” Alcohol present but not unbalanced. Fruity
Southern Hemisphere hops evoke white What our editors thought: What our editors thought: and pleasant. Excellent drinkability.”
grape, citrus rind, and “Peaches and apricots in a gym “Strawberry, rhubarb, clementine, gym What our editors thought:
cedar-lumber, with slightly locker; sweaty but glorious. sock: weird but oddly “Bready nose with light,
sweet pungency. The sip Sip is big, sweet, and compelling. The sip is more crisp tropical fruit; lean
echoes the nose, with stone-fruity. Layers of straightforward: bright and sparing. Sip offers
curious fruity woodiness clearly articulated flavors berry, subtle tropical funk, a similar economy: taut,
that sits satisfyingly on make for a fun explora- round bitterness. Atypically bright, lightly tropical,
the tongue while drying tion, finishing lightly bitter intriguing, like noise-rock juicy, and softly bitter
out in the finish.” and clean.” that vacillates from atonal throughout. Engaging,
ABV: 8.3% IBUs: N/A ABV: 8.5% IBUs: N/A riffs to poppy hooks.” drinkable.”
Loc: Denver, Colorado Loc: Orange, California ABV: 8.2% IBUs: N/A ABV: 8.7% IBUs: N/A
Loc: Rocklin, California Loc: Frisco, Colorado

Finback Jackie O’s Monkish Pinthouse

Whale Brewery Isolation Pizza Fog
Watching Fluid Forms Oscillation Runner
94 93 93 93
A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 18
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9

What the brewer says: “DDH What the brewer says: “Hoppy What the brewer says: “DDH Double What the brewer says: “Our brew
double IPA with Citra, Mosaic, Galaxy, 007, notes of passion fruit, pineapple, coconut, IPA brewed with pilsner malt and oats with team focused on creating a vastly tropical
and Nelson.” and tangerine, with bold notes of stone Citra, Incognito Citra, and Nelson Sauvin.” IPA.”
What our reviewers thought: fruit and exotic citrus presented by Sabro, What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
“Bright citrus notes of tangerine, lemon- Idaho 7, and Citra hops.” “Dank sweat transforms into intense “Huge hop nose overwhelms and welcomes
grass, with earthy, dank garlic and green What our reviewers thought: tangerine and orange. Low malt presence; the drinker: pineapple, tangerine, mango,
pepper. Inviting. Fruit-forward flavor, cit- “Aroma: SunnyD, Hi-C Ecto Cooler, Hawaiian hop flavor dominates. Smooth, moderate bit- red berry. Also some raw, herbal fresh hop.
rus-peel with solid malt sweetness—car- Punch. Almost a parody of itself. Flavors terness wants a touch more sweetness. Solid Tropical flavor accentuated by sweetness
amel, biscuit. Stone-fruit esters contribute match: sweet nondescript juiciness swerves citrus-hop flavors of grapefruit, tangerine, up front. Sweetness fades into low hop
to sense of sweetness. Balances well.” from citrus to tropical crowd-pleasers. Does orange peel. Finishes on the dry side; hop burn. Some present alcohol. Nice beer,
What our editors thought: “Big, what most feel a hazy IPA should do. Very flavor lingers nicely. Clean and drinkable.” rough around the edges, to be drunk in a
stinky tropical flower-blooms on the nose. drinkable for anytime.” What our editors thought: single goblet rather than pint after pint.”
Like a rainforest of intense What our editors thought: “Bright Citra adjusted by What our editors
aroma—citrus, mango, “Classic PNW sweaty citrus and pine drive a Nelson Instagram filter, thought: “Guava and
lychee, star fruit, sweaty the nose, endearingly. Sip boosting contrast and lychee burst from the
locker room, decaying logs, is soft, broad, echoing sharpening edges. Not nose. The sip offers funky,
waxy bark. The sip tones classic hop flavors while sweet, not dry, it toes the tropical, yet structured
down the weirdness, ups embracing the new. Clever, Aristotelian mean; soft and defined fruit flavor.”
the sweetness, delivering familiar, reassuring.” tropical notes backed by ABV: 9% IBUs: N/A
a deep experience.” ABV: 9% IBUs: N/A tight carbonation.” Loc: Austin, Texas
ABV: 8.5% IBUs: N/A Loc: Athens, Ohio ABV: 8.2% IBUs: N/A
Loc: Queens, New York Loc: Torrance, California

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 85
TASTED: HAZY DIPA

Prison City Transient Ar- Untitled Art Vitamin Sea

Double tisan Ales A La Forward BrewingBelow
Doink Carte Reality Hazy IPA Sea Level
86 90 93 90
A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 16 F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 19
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 3
OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9

What the brewer says: “The hop What the brewer says: “Double IPA What the brewer says: “Hazy IPA What the brewer says: “New En-
profile in this DIPA is kicked up by Enigma, with Citra, Mosaic, and El Dorado.” with Citra, Cashmere, and Ella hops.” gland IPA hopped with Citra and Chinook.”
Simcoe, and Citra hops, providing tropical What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
flavors that are hard to miss.” “Curiously inviting aroma: moderate lem- “Moderate orange, grapefruit, peach, apri- “Initially dank, earthy, minty, grassy—with
What our reviewers thought: on-lime, like lemon drop candy; black tea, cot—a bit subtle. In the flavor, more vanilla citrus, pine, stone fruit, but not overwhelm-
“Ripe tropical fruit basket: guava, mango, woody notes, stone fruit, pine. Light malt with stone fruit and berries. Moderate ing. Woody character carries into flavor—
pineapple, papaya. Dominant tropical hop backbone, caramel and biscuit tempering sweetness—bread and pie crust—fades dank pine, orange zest, and grapefruit,
flavor, though less intense than expected; un- bitterness and softening edges. Lime hop into moderate bitterness; orange, pine- supported by moderate sweetness, giving
dertones of spicy pepper, light oak. Mouthfeel flavor, lime zest undertones, with lemon, apple, mango flavors. Somewhat chalky. way to moderately dry, lightly bitter finish
a bit thin. Finishes mostly dry, some harsher pine, green pepper, spicy garlic. Smooth, Medium-plus body, creamy mouthfeel.” with a touch of pithy roughness.”
finishing notes, alcohol lingering a bit.” not too bitter. Unusual, interesting, What our editors thought: “Trop- What our editors thought:
What our editors thought: “Berry enjoyable.” ical fruit goes floral in the “Woodsy bark-and-sap nose, underscored
and fleshy passion fruit What our editors nose, with a bit of smoothie by light citrus. The sip turns
on the nose; glimpses thought: “A woodsy sweetness. The sip is flat- those to full volume, with
of berry-tannins and forest note collides with ter, with a one-dimension- amplified woods and citrus
spice—oddly Pinot soft peach and cut grass. al fruit sweetness, lightly over relatively sweet body,
Noir-like. Sip wavers back The sip is sweet but not prickly bitterness, and checked by a through-line
toward tropical fruit/ cloying, with more stone- oddly watery body for an of woody bitterness. Unique,
sweet/bitter, lean with fruit flavor balanced by imperial-strength beer.” outside the mainstream.”
flashes of sweet.” woody bitterness.” ABV: 8% IBUs: N/A ABV: 8% IBUs: N/A
ABV: 8.5% IBUs: N/A ABV: 8% IBUs: N/A Loc: Waunakee, Wisconsin Loc: Weymouth,
Loc: Auburn, New York Loc: Bridgman, Michigan Massachusetts

Surly Triptych And Urban South Weldwerks

Brewing I Think My Glimmer of Nelson Extra2
Space Race Spaceship... Hops Juicy Bits
91 95 97 96
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 20 F L AVO R : 18
MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 10

What the brewer says: “Brewed with What the brewer says: “Fluffy malts What the brewer says: “Tons of What the brewer says: “Hazy dou-
El Dorado, Citra, and Simcoe hops for a juicy and soft mouthfeel combine with Galaxy, Vic sweet melon, citrus, and tropical passion ble IPA with over 14 lb per barrel of Citra,
flavor that will send you straight to the moon.” Secret, and Citra for fruit cocktail.” fruit dominate this beer.” Mosaic, and El Dorado hops, including a
What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: big ol’ dose of Nelson Sauvin.”
“Fresh, clean, tropical aromas: orange, “Grapefruit, tangerine, onion, green pep- “Bright, complex aroma: peach, candied What our reviewers thought:
mango, peach, pineapple, passion fruit, per—diesel and garlic as it warms. Light orange, lemon, passion fruit, subtle pine “Initial vapor like a fresh bag of hop
with light lemon and pine. Moderate-to-high malt flavor; sweetness complements bit- in the background. That carries into flavor, pellets: tropical-juicy, pineapple, mango,
bitterness, playing well with intensely terness and flavors of tangerine, pineapple, with intense sweetness balanced by plenty with lighter orange and dankness. Flavor
perceived ester sweetness. Pronounced fruit guava. Light must and subtle mushroom of bitterness—distinct but not harsh. focused on fresh citrus and border-
on the palate. Lingering stickiness.” emerge. Finishes on the bitter side.” Heavy citric notes play into dryness of line-overripe tropical fruit. Drinks lighter
What our editors thought: “Gor- What our editors thought: finish. Canned tropical sunshine.” than a double IPA.”
geously expressive yet tightly edited nose: “Lambic-like funky nose is weird and What our editors thought: “Soft What our editors thought:
fruity Pez candy and bold wonderful—citrus, white cake and frosting “Citrus-glazed pound
tropical fruit. The sip is less smoke, minerality, earth. in the nose with glimpses cake on the nose—equal
chalky, more juicy, with Sip returns to the juicy of citrus. The sip is sweet parts sweet, sharp, funky,
passion fruit and mango line—bright citrus, sub- and bold, with woody with zesty rind. The sip is
over pleasing bitterness. tle bitterness, sweet body vanilla-citrus notes and amorphous, pillowy, with
Not as turbid or soft as pulling it together. A beer a well-placed bitterness a gentle roll-in and mildly
some, but well executed.” I want to keep smelling running through it. Intrigu- chalky body that never
ABV: 9.5% IBUs: N/A forever.” ing in its complexity.” hits hard.”
Loc: Brooklyn Center and ABV: 8% IBUs: N/A ABV: 8.1% IBUs: 24 ABV: 8.4% IBUs: N/A
Minneapolis, Minnesota Loc: Savoy, Illinois Loc: New Orleans, Louisiana Loc: Greeley, Colorado

86 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

TASTED: TRIPLE IPA

Burial We Green Cheek Monkish

Didn’t Need a Beer Ribbidy-
Real World Swim Test Diddiby
95 99 92
A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 20 F L AVO R : 19
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9

What the brewer says: N/A What the brewer says: “Milky What the brewer says: “Triple IPA
What our reviewers thought: yellowy/white in color, with flavorful hoppy with Galaxy and Mosaic.”
“Herbal soapy note upon initial nasal layers of pineapple, lychee, and nectarine.” What our reviewers thought:
drive-by; moderately strong pineapple, What our reviewers thought: “Bold nose; dank aromas play off pungent
papaya, light citrus, and wet pine. Low, “Ripe orange, lemon, grapefruit, and in- tropical, intense peach, super-ripe orange,
smooth bitterness, just enough to make a tense dankness melding with alcohol for a alcoholic warmth. Flavor reveals floral and
gargantuan beer drinkable without cloying. complex aroma with spicy, pepper-like kick. herbal notes—complex and intriguing—
Hop flavors dominate: pineapple, grape- Chewy sweetness tempers the bitterness, with musky passion fruit and dank citrus.
fruit, orange peel, pepper, and pine.” drying out enough to avoid cloying.” Plenty of body and bitterness to back up
What our editors thought: “Big, What our editors thought: heavy hops. Finishes dry enough to enjoy.”

Hop Butcher rich nose with sweaty, tropical, overripe

fruit and a cleansing floral note. Smells
“Sweaty citrus and tropical funk—un-
resolved tension between glorious and
What our editors thought:
“Beautiful display of tropical funk and
Run to sweet. The sip is absurdly weird. In the sip, tropical sweetness in the nose—

Daylight light for such a big beer—

antigravity in full effect.
sweetness morphs into
dry-pineapple bitterness
overripe passion fruit,
tangerine, fried plantain.

100
A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 3
Quirky tropical fruit hovers with David Blaine–like The sip is oddly light, with
F L AVO R : 20
MOUTHFEEL: 5 weightless in midair while precision. Finishes dry, soft but pungent tropical
OV E R A L L : 10
OK Go pops juicy fruit its sweetness ghostly. notes tempered by residu-
balloons.” Drinkable and satisfying. A al sweetness. Expressive
ABV: 10% IBUs: N/A masterwork of balance.” and bold yet controlled.”
What the brewer says: “Citra-, Loc: Asheville, North ABV: 10.2% IBUs: N/A ABV: 10.2% IBUs: N/A
Simcoe-, Strata-, and Galaxy-hopped triple Carolina Loc: Orange, California Loc: Torrance, California
India pale ale brewed with honey.”
What our reviewers thought:
“Holy wow on the nose—smells like freshly Dust Bowl Monday Reuben’s
squeezed OJ, almost one-dimensional but
in a good way. Lots of orange, complex
Confused Night With a Brews Triple
orange, and it doesn’t seem artificial. Therapist Little Help... Crush
89 91 96
Might be even bigger in the flavor, like A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 2 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
an Orange Julius. Alcohol is present but F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 20
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 4
not distracting. Moderate sweetness up OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9

front supports the fruit, while moderate

bitterness keeps it in balance. Finish is
fairly abrupt and clean. One couldn’t drink What the brewer says: “Vermont What the brewer says: “Bold aro- What the brewer says: “Thickly
several pints because then one couldn’t ale yeast and copious amounts of mas of orange peel slip into sips of tropical hopped and juicy, with delicate balance for
walk, but one would want to try. One of the late-addition hops give this beer huge trop- melon, ripe papaya, lychee, and spruce.” a big IPA.”
best IPAs ever.” ical-juice notes of pineapple and guava.” What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
What our editors thought: What our reviewers thought: “Bright citrus spin on classic West Coast: “Dank aroma, earthy, with strong citrus notes
“Concentrated peel and pith in the nose; “Aroma is all candied fruit—orange, lemon, grapefruit, orange, with grass, earth, of grapefruit, mandarin—and jammy apricot,
lime juice, pineapple daiquiri. Sweet, peach, passion fruit, mango, subtle ripe onion, and pine. Body and sweetness carry as it warms. Bitterness wallops taste buds,
creamy piña colada—rich but tangy. strawberry. More of that in flavor, with intense hop flavors—cedar, citrus, pine— then nuances emerge: pithy, warming, mixing
Firm, resinous bitterness arrives late, too decent bitter punch to cut the sweetness, and moderate bitterness to an approachable dank citrus with tropical stone-fruit jam.
enfolded in a thick blanket of malt to be like white sugar dusted atop fresh fruit. finish. Booziness not overpowering.” Drinks smoothly, without sticky heft.”
harsh. Sweetness checked by juicy acidity Malt and hops get muddled in the alcoholic What our editors thought: “Nose What our editors thought:
and late smack of bitterness. Thick, juicy warmth. Rough around the edges.” pulls floral and herbal notes into the hazy “Sweet, sweaty, tropical nose—orange,
hop wine.” What our editors genre; sophisticated and papaya, locker room. The
ABV: 10.5% IBUs: N/A thought: “Bold grape endearing. The sip is sip is bold and big, with
Loc: Chicago, Illinois notes out of nowhere. sweeter, with herbal-bitter strong citrus, tropical fruit,
The sip continues the sharpness that denies round bitterness. Soft malt
light-grape fruitiness, with immediate pleasure while obscures the alcohol. It
a muddled bitter/malty sweet, slightly vegetal feels strange to describe
through-line. A guess that flavor unfolds. Weird and a triple IPA as drinkable.
doesn’t find an answer.” interesting.” Exquisite balance.”
ABV: 10.4% IBUs: 60 ABV: 10% IBUs: 70 ABV: 10% IBUs: 60
Loc: Turlock, California Loc: Atlanta, Georgia Loc: Seattle, Washington

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 87
TASTED: FRUITED IPA

Abandoned Central 28 Crooked

Building Beer Grove- Stave Manda-
Shake land Road rin Dream
95 87 87
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 10 A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 17
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 3
OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10

What the brewer says: “Milkshake What the brewer says: “This IPA What the brewer says: “A delicious
IPA brewed with lactose and conditioned on is fermented with blood-orange puree and spring IPA we’ve paired with Mandarin
passion fruit, guava, and vanilla beans.” hopped with Mosaic and Citra.” citrus and citrus-forward hops, with
What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: a little kiss of vanilla to create a nice
“Massive tropical fruit up front—tart, with “Nose is fairly subtle—pleasantly tart; hints orange-Creamsicle-esque IPA.”
footy guava weirdness. Moderately sweet of rich, lightly caramelized citrus sweetness; What our reviewers thought:
and rich; boozy tropical punch. Tart fruit and light pith and earth. Rich flavor—moderate “Sweet citrus on the nose; earthy wheat.
medium bitterness cut through what might sweetness and bitterness—with great Pleasant citrus, sweet caramel, echoes of
have been cloying otherwise. Chewy body orange character throughout: tart, bright, vanilla. Hint of residual sweetness fades to a
and sweetness are pleasantly restrained.” without heavy sweetness. Crisp and fruity. dry, grassy finish. Hops balance well against

2nd Shift What our editors thought:

“Intensely tropical fruit-and-vanilla nose
Finishes a little sharp.”
What our editors thought:
fruity complexity. Good Creamsicle IPA.”
What our editors thought:
Brewing with a few sweaty touches “Grainy baked orange on the nose with a “Dominant citrus-flesh nose; bits of leaf,

Sunny Cat broadcasts a dessert beer.

The sip isn’t as sweet as
touch of vitamin-chalk. The sip is orange
juice and bitter peel, more
oily peel, grassy hops. The sip is clunky,
with a malt-forward,

97
A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 3
the nose suggests, its wide-bodied than sweet, bitter-citronella body.
F L AVO R : 19
MOUTHFEEL: 4 round body a touch watery. with a staid, workmanlike As that hit wears off, a
OV E R A L L : 10
Vanilla smooths the rough- approach that’s less vivid peppery-orange spicy
er edges for drinkability.” and more resigned.” warmth sets in to brings
ABV: 6.6% IBUs: 40 ABV: 6% IBUs: N/A it back around.”
What the brewer says: “Brewed in Loc: Easthampton, Loc: DeBary, Florida ABV: 6% IBUs: N/A
honor and memory of our Sunshine Kitty. Massachusetts Loc: Denver, Colorado
Brewed with oats, lactose, Amarillo, and
Citra hops, and dried tangerine peel.”
What our reviewers thought: Cape May Crooked Run Finback
“Delicate, tart citrus notes don’t make you
guess—zesty aromatherapy. Tangerine
Brewing Group Ultimate
peels stand apart from the crowd, working Crushin’ It Therapy Beats
85 89 93
well with piney hops and bitterness. A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 10 A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
Light-bodied, slightly low carb, but full of F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 18
MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
citrus flavor. Base beer supports the heavy OV E R A L L : 8 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10

zest without distracting, and the bitterness

balances the residual malt sweetness very
well. The finish is like good marmalade—a What the brewer says: “With Citra, What the brewer says: “This IPA What the brewer says: “DIPA with
mixture of sweetness and bitterness, with Mosaic, and Azacca hops blending together to was made with fresh-squeezed lemon, coconut, dry hopped with Mosaic.”
complex citrus-zest flavors.” accentuate the fresh flavors of orange juice.” lime, and orange juice from our cold- What our reviewers thought:
What our editors thought: What our reviewers thought: pressed juice machine.” “Fantastic aroma—toasted coconut,
“Lightly fruity nose doesn’t clearly “Rich, fleshy orange notes complemented What our reviewers thought: tropical hops—rich and inviting. Big, sweet,
define where the citrus addition stops by lighter pine, pepper. Candy-like up front, “Complex citrus—zesty lime, orange, chewy coconut bomb—massively creamy,
and hops begin—enticing interplay, moderately sweet throughout, lacking bit- lemon. Chewy mouthfeel, with pleasant, finishing sweet. Dries out somewhat, leaving
sophisticated, with touches of citrus oil terness. Saccharine character dominates; citrus-accented sweetness that balances an almost husky quality. Coconut is a bit
and grass beneath overt fruit. The sip is missing layered complexity. Pleasant the low bitterness. A bit muddled; wouldn’t overpowering, masking tropical-hop notes.”
softer—moderately low sweetness, with tartness cuts into finish.” mind a drier finish.” What our editors thought:
a bitterness that could be all fruit if we What our editors thought: What our editors thought: “A “Sophisticated nose: layers of wood, earth,
didn’t know it was hops. That citrus-oil “Nose is more herbal and floral than fruity; citrus-juice explosion in the nose—vivid toasted and fresh coconut, subtle herbal
bitterness persists into the finish, with an touches of mint and bright herbal tea. The orange spiked with pineapple. Coconut flavor
earthy linger.” sip goes full-on orange-sweet—no subtlety nose-piercing lime charges forward, faint
ABV: 6% IBUs: N/A required—with enough daggers. The sip settles pineapple in background.
Loc: St. Louis, Missouri bitterness to reel it in into a more mixed-citrus Bitterness is well-rounded,
before sprawling across expression, as hops and earthy, a nice foil to coco-
the palate in decadence.” citrus bitterness creep up nut sweetness. Touches
ABV: 8% IBUs: 15 over more delicate fruit of herbal spice lurk, broad-
Loc: Cape May, notes.” ening the perspective.”
New Jersey ABV: 6% IBUs: N/A ABV: 9.1% IBUs: N/A
Loc: Sterling, Virginia Loc: Queens, New York

88 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

Green Cheek Maplewood Schlafly Untitled Art
Beer Mr. Shakey Beer Hazy Tangerine
Cocohut Strawberry Pineapple IPA Milkshake IPA
93 96 91 87
A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 18
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 3
OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 8

What the brewer says: “Brewed What the brewer says: “Milkshake What the brewer says: “Pounds of What the brewer says: N/A
with milk sugar to create a creamy, IPA brewed with hundreds of pounds of experimental hops and pineapple refract off What our reviewers thought:
full-bodied beer, hopped with Citra, then fresh strawberry puree and vanilla beans.” one another to create a juicy, golden brew.” “Big, vibrant, tangerine-Creamsicle aroma;
conditioned on toasted coconut shreds.” What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: assertive alcohol spiciness. Tangerine
What our reviewers thought: “Bright, rich strawberry in aroma and flavor: “Wheaty aroma, light pineapple notes. Grain tartness pairs well with bitterness to almost
“Initial nutty nose backed by tropical moderately sweet, just enough bitterness to covers the fruit a bit, but pineapple pairs balance the vanilla; finishes with a lingering
character, before coconut flesh/milk balance. Middle-of-the-road milkshake— nicely. Light, lively, refreshingly dry, but with sweet coating. Hops blend well with fruit to
arrives to sweeten things. Rich, creamy, soft, full-bodied, with little hop or malt round body from carbonation, create a pleasant, lingering aftertaste. Nice,
tongue-coating. Decent sweet-bitter bal- character. Finishes dry enough. Nails the fruit haze, and fruit. Fantastic bright tangerine character, pretty sweet
ance; light peach and orange notes. Over ripeness balanced by vanilla and lactose.” complexity and balance.” overall. A bit lacking in complexity.”
the top? Yeah, but that’s the point.” What our editors thought: What our editors What our editors thought:
What our editors thought: “Nose “Exuberant strawberry-smoothie nose thought: “Light, sweet “Sickly sweet candied-tangerine nose also
avoids one-note coco- captures nuances—sweet pineapple on the nose. The sip pulls up notes of rhubarb
nut—fleshy, rich, like a flesh, leafy hops—in is unbelievably light, lively, and forest fern. The sip
well-made tiki cocktail. an otherwise intense with light-but-satisfying continues the sweet jag
Sip brings out coconut beer that throws nuance body and gentle, fruity with straight tangerine
milk; light tropical notes aside. Could be read as bitterness. Understat- juice and minimal
and rounded bitterness cloying—but it’s also ed pineapple, trading bitterness—simple and
keep it in check. Never engaging, with expert-tier sweetness for drinkability. straightforward.”
gets too loose or flabby.” strawberry expression.” Compelling.” ABV: 8% IBUs: N/A
ABV: 6.1% IBUs: N/A ABV: 7.5% IBUs: N/A ABV: 4.5% IBUs: N/A Loc: Waunakee,
Loc: Orange, California Loc: Chicago, Illinois Loc: St. Louis, Missouri Wisconsin

Hop Butcher Odell Brewing Uinta Brewing Urban South

for the World Mango Tree Grapefruit Sunshine
Ocean Key Shaker Nosh Haze Dream
94 92 93 88
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 17
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9

What the brewer says: “Citra- and What the brewer says: “Ripe, What the brewer says: “Tangy, What the brewer says: “Creamsi-
Motueka-hopped milkshake double IPA tropical mango and bright, citrusy hops juicy and slightly sweet, the latest twist on cle milkshake IPA that we dry hopped with
brewed with pineapple, key lime, and vanilla.” combine to shake the senses.” our flagship IPA features an aromatic burst Citra and Comet, then aged on tangerine
What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: of fresh-squeezed white grapefruit.” juice and vanilla bean.”
“Vibrant, tart fruit throughout, with soft “Fruit aroma dominates: ripe banana, What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
vanilla edges. Rich, sweet, and fruity: pine- mango, guava, papaya—tropical smoothie “Pleasant grapefruit zest-and-juice aroma. “Citrus and vanilla combine for rich, sweet
apple sweetness pared down by key-lime vibes. Fruit dominates flavor, too—pine- Bright grapefruit throughout pairs well Creamsicle nose; like muddling a vanilla bean
acidity—interesting ester profile. Chewy apple, papaya, banana. Low bitterness with old-school caramel and pine-citrus with a tangerine twist. Pleasant tartness and
without cloy. Lingering fruit-and-hops rolls into a pithy kind of banana-peel hops. Lightly tart, with pithy bitterness light hop burn cut the sweetness; zest and
complexity. Okay, beer hipsters: You win.” harshness but doesn’t linger. Light floral balancing sweet heavy fruit, while unas- pith almost cut the heavy vanilla. Rides low
What our editors thought: alcohol character. Interesting fruity stuff, suming malt provides body. Finishes dry on the axle. Would work with Thai food.”
“Quirky citrus-pineapple nose; vanilla and but is it an IPA?” and a bit tart, making you want more.” What our editors thought: “Over-
wood soften the intense What our editors thought: What our editors thought: the-top orange and vanilla
fruit. On the sip, sweetness “Intensely fruity nose eschews balance for “Sweet citrus-juice nose is focused. Sip cream in the nose. Sip is
pushes thoroughly into des- bold tropical expression. Sip feels both classic and new, intensely sweet—past the
sert territory, buffered only barely reels in the fruit with with throwback-IPA citrus most liberal definitions of
by touches of fruit-acidity a touch of malt and whisper amped on a dad-bod mid- IPA. Could work if the beer
and herbal bitterness. of bitterness. Sacrifices IPA dle that’s neither obese offered some balancing
Polarizing. Complex, bitterness for a fruit- nor chiseled. Citrus-bitter bitterness.”
interesting, very sweet.” forward sweet bomb.” finish invites more sips.” ABV: 6.9% IBUs: 18
ABV: 7.5% IBUs: N/A ABV: 8% IBUs: 50 ABV: 7.3% IBUs: 60 Loc: New Orleans,
Loc: Chicago, Illinois Loc: Fort Collins, Colorado Loc: Salt Lake City, Utah Louisiana

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 89
TASTED: AMERICAN IPA

Blackberry Castle Cigar City

Farm Brew- Island Brewing Jai
ery BFB IPA Vern Alai
88 92 97
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 2 APPEARANCE: 2 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 20
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10

What the brewer says: “Our What the brewer says: “A wheat What the brewer says: “Citrusy,
unfiltered IPA is a celebration of New World IPA with Mosaic.” tropical, and balanced American IPA
hops and all of their versatility.” What our reviewers thought: brewed with six hop varietals and dry-
What our reviewers thought: “Aroma: tropical mango, pineapple, can- hopped with Simcoe.”
“Mango and candied fruit jump from the died lemon peel, Sunkist soda pop, hints What our reviewers thought:
glass. Round, bittersweet flavor—low of coconut and curry. Smooth but complex “Lovely, bright, hop aroma—blood orange,
malt but nice sweetness, candied fruit flavor—bright caramel sweetness, good mango—with wort-like sweet caramel.
still there—then finishing a bit earthy and hop bitterness—going clean and fairly dry Unsweetened-orange-juicy—zesty, pithy
resin-astringent. Classically molded with in the finish. Rounded, with a touch of lin- flavor—with a balancing caramel note
Pacific roughness, hindering drinkability gering sweetness. Maybe a bit thin in the that smacks into a medium-high wave of

Grains of but somehow nostalgic and reassuring.”

What our editors thought: “Light
middle, but pleasant and easy to drink.”
What our editors thought: “Soft,
bitterness. It sticks a bit, but you go back
for that orange punch and malty hug.”
Wrath Crypt tropical fruit-funk on the nose—less sweet tropical-pineapple What our editors thought:

Keeper defined than others, but enjoyable in

its subtlety. Light and
nose. Hybridizing New
England and West Coast,
“Lightly toasted bread, soft tropical citrus
on the nose. The sip offers

99
A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3
dry in flavor, with a it doesn’t sacrifice light sweetness to amplify
F L AVO R : 20
MOUTHFEEL: 5 curious, tropically tilted, much—big fruit notes, the fruitier flavors, reined
OV E R A L L : 10
overripe-fruit bitterness boldly expressed, despite in by an equally pitched
that slightly overpowers the otherwise dry finish.” bitterness. Balances on
the friendlier fruit.” ABV: 6.8% IBUs: N/A the bigger side.”
What the brewer says: “Citra ABV: 6.9% IBUs: 60 Loc: Norwood, Massa- ABV: 7.5% IBUs: 65
single-hop IPA with bright flavors and Loc: Walland, Tennessee chusetts Loc: Tampa, Florida
aromas of citrus, grapefruit, lime, and
tropical fruit.”
What our reviewers thought: Breakside Cellarmaker Deschutes
“Enticing Life Savers/Gummy Worm candy
fruit nose; woody tropical hops, low bready
Brewery Stay Mo’ Strata Fresh
malt. Medium-high bitterness with a West IPA Squeezed
98 97 90
fresh-squeezed orange-grapefruit hop A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
flavor. Easy-going, fruity, juicy, finishing F L AVO R : 20 F L AVO R : 20 F L AVO R : 19
MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 2
clean and dryish. Could handle a bit more OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10

bite for structure. Straightforwardly fruity,

lovable, very easy to drink, with unconven-
tional and appealing hop flavor.” What the brewer says: “Classic What the brewer says: “Mosaic’s What the brewer says: “Gets its
What our editors thought: West Coast IPA—dank, citrusy, dry, and guava, tangerine, and pine elements team flavor from a heavy helping of Citra and
“The aroma quickly evokes sweet orange, strong.” up perfectly to make this focused, dank, Mosaic hops.”
tangerine, and clementine, with creamy, What our reviewers thought: and fruity IPA.” What our reviewers thought:
gentle fruit notes that would be equally “Bright orange and pineapple aroma— What our reviewers thought: “Caramel-sweet malt up front; hops are
at home in something more hazy. The sip tangerine, mandarin—sweet, clean citrus “Strong Northwest hop aroma—pine, low and woody—like bergamot tea with
is a study in minimalism, all distractions punch. Medium-high bitterness with sweet, lemon peel, cat pee, lemongrass, ferns. an orange slice; worty with a floral touch.
eliminated to leave the core essence: malty backbone—balanced in Bitter flavor—grapefruit pith, zest, dank- Sweet caramel flavor with a decent piney
a beautiful, reasonably dry expression flavor, rolling right into crisp and ness—balanced by sweet, light caramel. bitterness, rounding with the malt and
of Citra—slight herbal bitterness, big dry. Enticing, accomplished, Harmonious, finishing clean. Reassuringly lingering on the tongue. A bit thin and
citrus, perfectly placed carbonation. A and reassuringly bitter.” rough in the old-school pine woods.” sweet, with a lingering bitterness.”
master class in flavor integration. It’s What our editors What our editors thought: What our editors thought: “On
hard to imagine a better Citra-based West thought: “Orange-blossom “Dank-weed nose, softened the nose: orange marmalade on toast;
Coast IPA.” nose, touches of vanilla and by passion fruit. Sip peach and apple notes. Unlike many con-
ABV: 7% IBUs: N/A honey—smooth, round, puts herbal bitterness temporaries, it’s not em-
Loc: Camas, Washington cohesive. The sip exudes out front; it peaks then barrassed by substantial
polish, with light, dry fades into a gentle fruity malt, embracing a rich
citrus and faint summer linger. Ambitious but tight, but reasonable grain bill
forest in a seamless whole. creative but methodical.” that adds dimension to
Feather-light body.” ABV: 6.9% IBUs: 58 the fruit.”
ABV: 7% IBUs: 49 Loc: San Francisco, ABV: 6.4% IBUs: 60
Loc: Portland, Oregon California Loc: Bend, Oregon

90 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

East Brother Gilman Highland Metazoa
Beer Brewing Park Brewery Brewing Hop-
Gold IPA Quarter Panel Hello, LA popotamus
88 98 90 97
A RO M A : 10 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 20 F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 20
MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10

What the brewer says: “An Ameri- What the brewer says: “Massive What the brewer says: “Flavors and What the brewer says: “A burst of
can hoppy IPA with a bright nose, distinctive tropical/dank/citrus aroma and flavor aromas of tropical fruit, mango, and passion floral bitterness from the Citra and Mosaic
texture—bold on the palate, dry finish.” from... Amarillo, Simcoe, and Mosaic hops.” fruit from the Citra and Mosaic hops.” hops is balanced by a soft sweetness.”
What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
“Bready-toasty malt nose, low tropical “Pineapple and grapefruit aroma; stripe of “Bright, citrusy, floral nose—orange blos- “Tropical mango, passion-fruit aroma; soft
hops—black tea and grapefruit. Pleasant, vanilla and low, dough-like malt. Round, me- som, hint of vanilla. Flavor starts bright and edges of grapefruit, caramel, pine. High hop
balanced flavor—leaning malt-forward, with dium-high bitterness with fresh, grassy hop sweet on rich malt—juicy tang drops into bitterness with floral, piney flavor, balanced
hops and bitterness in the back seat. Bal- flavor; rolls through light sweetness and brief earthy, grassy, pine-tree-sap medium hop by light caramel sweetness—a harmonious
ance leans sweet for mainstream appeal.” juicy tang to a defined bitter finish. Aromatic, bitterness. Some sweetness and resin linger.” malt cushion. Clean finish, nothing to trou-
What our editors thought: round, compelling, and finishes clean.” What our editors thought: “High- ble more gulps. Standout IPA in retro form.”
“Nutty malt and earthy-spicy hops on What our editors thought: key guava and passion-fruit notes bathe What our editors thought: “Subtle
the nose—subtle, warm. On the sip, “Lightly toasted bread and the nose in light. That lightness pushes orange-and-tangerine nose, pleasant
honey sweetness hits with soft tropical citrus on the the contrast in the sip, at sweetness. Sip brings
tongue-coating intensity. nose. The sip offers a the expense of mid-tone sharp bitterness—bold
Light herbal bitterness in touch of sweetness to values—blown out hit leaves nothing to the
the finish, stopping short amplify the fruitier fla- between blazing top- imagination, settling into a
of scrubbing the palate. vors, reining it in quickly fruit notes and a sharply familiar citrus rhythm that
Present alcohol, despite with an equally pitched defined bitter end.” fades into pith and zest,
moderate ABV.” bitterness. Leans big.” ABV: 6.8% IBUs: N/A steering clear of sweet.”
ABV: 7.3% IBUs: N/A ABV: 6.5% IBUs: 69 Loc: Los Angeles, ABV: 7% IBUs: 70
Loc: Richmond, Loc: Berkeley, California California Loc: Indianapolis,
California Indiana

Firestone GoodLife MadTree No-Li

Walker Brewing Brewing En- Brewhouse
Union Jack Descender IPA tropic Theory Big Juicy IPA
89 93 96 87
A RO M A : 10 A RO M A : 10 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 10
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 20 F L AVO R : 20 F L AVO R : 16
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 5
OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9

What the brewer says: “Pineapple, What the brewer says: “Pine and What the brewer says: “Huge What the brewer says: “A light
citrus, and pine aromas with intense creamy-citrus notes dominate the nose aromas of orange, peach, and apricot. malt foundation layered with bright citrus
flavors of grapefruit and tangerine.” and combine well with subtle tropical/ ...Smooth bitterness and soft mouthfeel as and tropical fruit notes.”
What our reviewers thought: peach notes.” it delivers tropical-fruit flavors.” What our reviewers thought:
“Subdued aroma: pine resin, grapefruit What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: “Tropical-citrus aroma—orange slices,
peel, hay, bubblegum. Flavor starts “Mellow aroma: candy citrus, fruit punch, “Pine-tree-forest hops, orange-grapefruit grapefruit peel, biscuit, cooked sugar, light
moderately sweet—bread crust, light passion fruit, with medium malty sweet- punch, tropical hints, bright tomato. Flavor floral. Medium bitterness smoothed by
caramel—transitioning to moderately ness. Medium-high malt sweetness draws leans sweet; well-balanced malt accentu- medium-high doughy-malt sweetness—
strong bitterness, clean and not harsh. Dry out fruit-juicy hop flavor, well-rounded with ates juicy hops, ducking bitterness until and bright, fresh, clean, citrus-juicy flavor,
finish. Tastes traditional.” moderate bitterness—then finishes clean a softly resinous, crisp, clean, dry-enough leaning lemon-lime. Rolls into dryness,
What our editors thought: and dry without leaving a mark.” finish. Wanting the aroma to say more, but finishing clean and leaving the palate
“Caramel hints of West Coast, with berry What our editors thought: there is an addictive quality.” wanting more. On the refreshing end.”
and currant esters—spicy red fruit— “Friendly, familiar citrus-pine nose. The What our editors thought: “Bit What our editors thought:
and light citrus. On the sip, disciplined sip rolls in gently with confident bitterness of oaky stone fruit with a vanilla touch on “Understated nose: subtle grain, citrus.
bitterness—polished, that feels more pithy than the nose. Sip brings out Flavorwise, it dives into
present, yet understated, herbal, but rounded edges some herbal-spicy bit- the orange-juice pool
smooth—with light give it a gentility that terness to weigh against headfirst, unconcerned
berry and spruce-like never overstays its wel- stone-fruit sweetness. with the question of
fruity pine notes.” come. Maintains character Refined, smooth, lively, depth. Simple and
ABV: 7% IBUs: 60 despite accessibility.” energetic.” straightforward.”
Loc: Paso Robles, ABV: 7% IBUs: 70 ABV: 7.5% IBUs: 70 ABV: 6.1% IBUs: 35
California Loc: Bend, Oregon Loc: Cincinnati, Ohio Loc: Spokane, Washington

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 91
TASTED: AMERICAN IPA

NoDa True Russian River Sketchbook Three

Grit South- Brewing Brewing Weavers Hops
eastern IPA Happy Hops Day Game Need Friends
84 90 89 94
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 2
F L AVO R : 15 F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 19
MOUTHFEEL: 3 MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 5
OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9

What the brewer says: “Brewed What the brewer says: “Tropical, What the brewer says: “Brewed with What the brewer says: “Aggressive
with flaked maize, heavily hopped with berries, citrus, fruity.” Mosaic hops, for bright pineapple and grape- yet generously balanced upfront bitterness;
over eight pounds per barrel of hops.” What our reviewers thought: fruit flavors, and just a touch of honey.” bright grapefruit and lemon-rind finish.”
What our reviewers thought: “High New World hop aroma—pleasant, What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
“Strong hop-forward aroma: citrus, passion if one-note, orange candy, pith—with low “Punchy citrus-tropical aroma—man- “Sweet, soft, elegant aroma: floral lemon,
fruit, pineapple, star fruit, light pine, diesel, resin note as it warms. Quite sweet up go, blood orange, pineapple, lemon. juicy pineapple, low caramel. Flavor is
garlic. Dry, crackery malt and firm bitterness, front—bread-crust malt, fruit Flavor leans sweet, with tangy, medium sweet up front, moderately bitter; piney
with dominant grassy, piney hop flavors. Me- tang—rolling right into dry and bitterness and low piney-hop character. flavor, light caramel. Clean, rounded finish.
dium-light body can’t contain the bitterness, bitter. Lacks a juicy middle. Bitter Finishes fairly dry and clean; just a light Light-tasting IPA that tiptoes and whis-
which lingers, pushing into harsh territory. finish lingers. Sweet then harsh, rubbery note. Bright, pleasant, drinkable, if pers. Appealing and drinkable.”
Great aroma; challenging bitterness.” with a lovely nose.” somewhat one-dimensional.” What our editors thought: “Clas-
What our editors thought: What our editors What our editors thought: sic orange-pine nose gets a creamy twist;
“Bright, juicy, overripe thought: “Light, but “Bright pineapple on the soft vanilla smoothie notes.
tropical nose—man- distinct, passion fruit and nose, a touch of musty The sip mashes that with
go, papaya—cleanly pineapple on the nose. earth; honey and herbal old-school West Coast
expressed. The sip trades Flavor loses some of that hops collide. The sip toys vibes—softer, sweeter
juiciness for broad, definition, as big, tropical with full-blown sweet elements balanced by
mouth-filling bitterness herbal-bitterness quickly fruit before herbal bit- ragged herbal bitterness.
that steals the show.” overpowers more delicate terness pulls it back for Its feet in both worlds, it’s
ABV: 5.5% IBUs: 45 fruit notes.” an indecisive finish.” both familiar and new.”
Loc: Charlotte, ABV: 6.5% IBUs: N/A ABV: 6% IBUs: 57 ABV: 7% IBUs: N/A
North Carolina Loc: Windsor, California Loc: Evanston, Illinois Loc: Inglewood, California

pFriem Single Hill The Brew TRVE Brewing

Family Brewing Kettle White Tunnel of
Brewers IPA Eastside IPA Rajah Trees
96 88 98 95
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 10 A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 20 F L AVO R : 19
MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 10

What the brewer says: “pFriem IPA What the brewer says: N/A What the brewer says: “Huge notes What the brewer says: “Hopped
builds on that legacy with big hops, huge What our reviewers thought: of tropical fruit, citrus, and dankness on and dry-hopped with Chinook, Centennial,
citrus, and candy-like malt.” “Mellow aroma: pine, lemon, apricot, fruit the nose, this IPA is dangerously smooth.” and Citra.”
What our reviewers thought: punch, pink bubblegum. That bubble- What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
“Piney-floral hop aroma—grapefruit, gum continues into flavor—moderately “Sweet, pleasant nose of floral, woody “Ample aroma: grapefruit, lemon, pine,
orange, pith, peel, sweat. Notes of sweet sweet, transitioning to smooth, subdued hops and clean caramel—orange blossom, dank diesel. Moderate sweetness on
caramel and nutty grain. Rounded malt bitterness. Hop flavors of grapefruit and tangy candy. Bright flavor on yin-and-yang pie-crust malt, nicely balanced by firm
sweetness up front, rolling through citrus lemongrass. Light, clean, bready malt hops-malt blend—brief sweetness, then bitterness that lingers without harshness.
zest into smooth bitterness and a clean, with a touch of hay or grainy husk. Nicely zesty, pithy citrus mushrooming into firm Peppery onion hop flavors, but more pine
dry finish. Some sweetness lingers. Bright, balanced. Hop aroma is a bit low, with bitterness. Sweetish finish, lingering spicy and grapefruit in the drying finish. Classic
juicy, very drinkable.” distracting fruity esters.” bitterness.” character in a lighter, modern malt frame.”
What our editors thought: “Soft, What our editors thought: What our editors thought: What our editors thought: “Clas-
fresh, defined herbal, citrus, and floral “Dank, sticky nose “Full-spectrum nose offers clear aromas sic juicy orange and light
nose. Body offers medium heft and sweet- dripping with resin and at every frequency—citrus, tropical fruit, pine, feeling like a bright
ness, highlighting orange citrus oil. The sip brings light malt, touch of musty contemporary take on
blossom, underpinned big orange fruit with a dank. The sip is incredibly West Coast IPA. The sip is
by spicy forest. Light, light pithy bitterness. Big clean; firm bitterness crisp, fruity, with a touch
satisfying approach, without overwhelming, tucked seamlessly behind of floral hops creeping in
simultaneously classic fruity without cloying.” endearing fruity notes.” toward the end. Bright
and modern.” ABV: 7% IBUs: 40 ABV: 6.8% IBUs: N/A without being brutal.”
ABV: 6.8% IBUs: 65 Loc: Yakima, Washington Loc: Middleburg ABV: 7% IBUs: N/A
Loc: Hood River, Oregon Heights, Ohio Loc: Denver, Colorado

92 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

 TASTED: AMERICAN DIPA/TIPA

Von Ebert 2nd Shift Bend Brewing

Brewing Wolf Brewing Art Hophead
Summoner of Neurosis Imperial IPA
93 89 87
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 9
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 19
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9

What the brewer says: “Hopped What the brewer says: “A hop What the brewer says: “Loaded
with Rakau, Galaxy, and El Dorado to give sandwich of Simcoe and Columbus hops.” with copious amounts of our favorite hops.”
strong notes of tropical fruit.” What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
What our reviewers thought: “Dominant citrus up front—orange, “Soft aroma; dank, sweaty, Szechuan-
“Prominent aroma: lime zest, Orange Julius, lemon—with piney, grassy notes. Moderately peppery notes partly overtake tropical-citrus.
pineapple, mango, floral notes, lemons, sweet, lightly toasty malt; some green onion/ Easily likeable flavor makes up for it—round,
and light bready malt. Flavor continues cit- garlic hop flavors, with peppery spice, crackery-malty, juicy—with firm bitterness
rus-hops focus—oranges, lime zest, floral, orange-citrus, light grass—and moderately that plays well with alcohol, lingering as zesty
peppery—moderately sweet on smooth, strong, bracing bitterness. Overall, fairly resin. Danker, rougher aspects in hop flavors
creamy body, then bitterness kicks in.” malty. Classic West Coast–style hop profile.” contained by nice malt blanket.”
What our editors thought:
“Light, clean, tropical nose—lychee and Russian River What our editors thought:
“Classically bent citrus-dank nose. The sip
What our editors thought:
“Weedy, dank nose, with pronounced PNW
guava. The sip threads Pliny the continues the party, with hops-meet-dispensary
the tight space between
West Coast bitterness Elder a moderate yet smooth
bitterness underpinning
vibe. Sip is boldly bitter
yet alluring in its rounded

99
and East Coast fruit with A RO M A : 12
APPEARANCE: 3
it. An idealized West Coast herbal edges—an
tremendous aplomb, both F L AVO R : 20
MOUTHFEEL: 5 IPA, maybe a touch sweet outlier among citrus- and
OV E R A L L : 10
crisp and bitter, light and with crackery malt, but fruit-forward IPAs but
fruity, without sacrificing right down the classic entertaining for that
either.” line.” reason.”
ABV: 6.4% IBUs: 79 What the brewer says: “Grapefruit, ABV: 7.6% IBUs: N/A ABV: 8.3% IBUs: N/A
Loc: Portland, Oregon pine, lychee, mild dank quality.” Loc: St. Louis, Missouri Loc: Bend, Oregon
What our reviewers thought:
“Bright golden, with tall, stable, bright
West Sixth white froth. Strong pine and citrus Alvarado Cigar City
Hop Static aroma—bright orange, orange blossom—
fascinating floral notes mingling with
Street Triple Brewing
Channel 2 the sweet citrus and low, sweet malt. Cone Florida Man
96 90 92
A RO M A : 12 Enticing. Quite juicy in flavor—candied A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 10
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 20 fruit, jungle juice, Fruit Loops—with F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 19
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OV E R A L L : 10 medium bitterness and a straightforward, OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10

balancing, honey-like floral sweetness

that accentuates the fruit. Ends in an easy
What the brewer says: “Highly aro- snap of bitterness, finishing clean, though What the brewer says: “Going for What the brewer says: “Bold, trop-
matic, hop-forward with notes of tropical some of that bitterness lingers and builds. maximum oil extraction from a combo of ical double IPA brewed with Pacific Jade,
fruits, stone fruit, berry, citrus, and pine.” Don’t know the strength, but I can sense Mosaic, Strata, and Citra hops.” Galaxy, Azacca, Lemon Drop, and Simcoe.”
What our reviewers thought: the danger. Easy to drink.” What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
“Mellow aroma, pleasantly familiar: What our editors thought: “Light “Tangerine wrapped in marijuana—dank, “Fairly muted aroma: orange, peach,
grapefruit, pine resin, light dollop of dank, tropical fruit, subtle floral, and hay bales herbal—with heavy citrus-tropical notes: grapefruit peel, light diesel, hint of white
doughy-sweet malt. Flavor runs sweet, on the nose—fruity but toasty and dry. mango, passion fruit, melon, strawberry. grape. Those carry into flavor, where
threatening to overpower zesty hops—but On the sip, very light—no caramel, but a Flavor is even brighter—lemon, grapefruit, bready, honey-vanilla sweetness merges
also cushioning high bitterness with a balanced and gentle bitterness with pro- fresh pine, floral spice—with subtle into smooth bitterness—orange-mango
comfy malt blanket. Aftertaste continues nounced smoothness. The drinkability is caramel tempering the bitterness and hops, grassy-spicy undertones—and low
the malt-and-resin interplay. Refined off the charts—for a double IPA, incredibly heat, easing drinkability.” alcoholic warmth. Medium-full body; lightly
choices about where to be unrefined.” light and easy to drink, unparalleled in its What our editors thought: sweet, fruity finish.”
What our editors thought: effortlessness.” “Orange oil, rich herbs, and What our editors thought:
“Earthy, lower-key, overripe tropical fruit on ABV: 8% IBUs: N/A left-field funky touch on “Earthy, grounded, tropical nose, equal parts
the nose. That persists into Loc: Windsor, California the nose. Sip offers orange rustic and sweet. Tropical
the sip, with a backing peel and herbal bitterness fruit notes dominate the
bitterness nearly indistin- in a big, warming package. sip, backed by earthy,
guishable from the whole. Mellow, genuine, polished. mellow bitterness—not
Nimble and deft despite Bold, compelling hop West Coast, not New
big, weighty flavors.” expression.” England, something else.”
ABV: 7.5% IBUs: N/A ABV: 11% IBUs: 100+ ABV: 8.5% IBUs: 80
Loc: Lexington, Kentucky Loc: Salinas, California Loc: Tampa, Florida

BEERANDBREWING.COM | 93
TASTED: AMERICAN DIPA/TIPA

Ecliptic Neshaminy New Realm Station 26

Brewing Creek Shape of Brewing Bang Bang
Starburst IPA Hops to Come Más Macho Double IPA
95 88 93 91
A RO M A : 12 A RO M A : 10 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 18 F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 19
MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4
OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9

What the brewer says: “Brewed What the brewer says: “A ton of What the brewer says: “Tropical What the brewer says: “Piney,
with Amarillo, Azacca, Centennial, Citra, bitterness along with juicy, dank, resiny fruit, pronounced floral, citrus rind, and hop-forward. Good malt balance.”
Mosaic, and Simcoe hops.” pine-like and citrus-forward hop character.” dank aromatics and flavors.” What our reviewers thought:
What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: “Nose of orange, pineapple, and honey;
“Enticing, sweet, bright nose: lemon peel, “Zesty blood-orange nose, tropical; “Smells like a screwdriver—OJ and hints of zest and sweet tomato. Nonde-
lemon drop candy, orange, grapefruit, notes of honey, tobacco. Round flavor: vodka-like warmth, candied lemon, pith. script malt sweetness powers juicy-dank
light malt. Tastes sweet up front—nice- light caramel sweetness, medium-high Straightforward light-caramel sweetness hop flavors—citrus and pine—inter-
ly balanced bready malt drawing out bitterness—tropical, zesty orange strips, draws out juicy-zesty hop flavor, calming twining and flirting with medium-high
orange-grapefruit—rolling into firm piney hints, caramel. Finishes prickly on into bitterness both restrained and sharp. bitterness through a long, warming finish.
bitterness, getting slightly rough in the the tongue. A touch rough and resinous.” Light on the tongue yet cloying a bit. Some Bright, sweet, juicy sort of hop wine.”
finish and lingering. Low alcoholic heat as it What our editors thought: alcoholic warmth. Fun, cocktail-like.” What our editors thought:
warms. Want the hop flavors to sing louder.” “Classic C-hops citrus nose; herbal, dank. Sip What our editors thought: “Neu- “Herbal bitterness on the nose with a
What our editors thought: is loud, with throwback DIPA tral nose like Switzerland touch of anise, but little of the favored
“White grape, kiwi, light pineapple nose, bitterness smoothed and amidst citrus world war. citrus aromas we’ve come to expect. The
crisply defined. Soft honed into a better version While bitter battles rage, sip brings more fruit—
tropical bitterness drives of itself. Avoids today’s fruit this big IPA rejects purely lychee, lime—but with a
the sip, rounded, not clichés with the attitude citrus or dank models, marker-sharp edge that
overbearing, finishing of an aging scenester, elevating smooth herbal keeps it at arm’s length.”
quickly to let a bit of light reminding you how things bitterness to an artform.” ABV: 9.2% IBUs: N/A
malt shine.” used to be better.” ABV: 9.3% IBUs: 60 Loc: Denver, Colorado
ABV: 7.8% IBUs: N/A ABV: 8.5% IBUs: 98 Loc: Atlanta, Georgia &
Loc: Portland, Oregon Loc: Croydon, Pennsylvania Virginia Beach, Virginia

Foothills New Belgium Squatters Westbound &

Brewing Liquid Hop Rising Down Double
Seeing Double Paradise IPA Tropical DIPA IPA
85 94 92 90
A RO M A : 10 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 11 A RO M A : 11
APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3 APPEARANCE: 3
F L AVO R : 17 F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 19 F L AVO R : 19
MOUTHFEEL: 5 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 4 MOUTHFEEL: 3
OV E R A L L : 8 OV E R A L L : 10 OV E R A L L : 9 OV E R A L L : 9

What the brewer says: “Dense What the brewer says: “Boasts a What the brewer says: “Our much- What the brewer says: “An abun-
blend of base malts; massive additions of mélange of tropical notes to create a deli- loved double IPA tests the tropical waters dance of Enigma, Galaxy, and Mosaic hops
Cascade hops and a Chinook dry hopping.” cately bitter and extremely aromatic IPA.” with notes of mango and citrus derived pack big aromas of tangerine, blueberry,
What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought: entirely from exotic hops.” papaya, and other tropical fruits.”
“Moderate orange-pineapple-pine aroma; “Solid orange, pineapple, grapefruit What our reviewers thought: What our reviewers thought:
light floral, grassy notes. Moderate malt aromas, with dank, spicy pine, bread “Pleasant nose: candied citrus peel, lemon “Zesty, pithy, grapefruit-peel hop nose; pro-
sweetness—bready, caramel, honey—with crust. Mild, bready sweetness throughout, pith, floral notes. Tropical candied-fruit nounced edges of piney/catty dankness and
firm bitterness not quite cutting the sweet- with firm bitterness; flavors of pineapple, flavor, orange-juicy, a bit tangy, on a sweet cooked sugar. Quite sweet, playing well with
ness. Spicy, grassy hop flavors grapefruit peel, peppery spice. Slight caramel bed; gentle bitterness takes a back citrus-peel-and-pine flavors, dropping via
with lower orange-citrus.” chalky minerality; finishes mostly dry and seat. Leans sweet in the finish, zest linger- high gravity through rubbery pith into some-
What our editors clean, hops and sweetness lingering. Nice ing. Finds some balance in citrus tang and what abrasive, medium-high bitterness.”
thought: “Orange caramel, blend of old and new.” soft cocktail warmth. Delicious. Perilous.” What our editors thought: “Mild
orange oil, lightly sweet malt What our editors thought: “Nose What our editors thought: “Fa- citrus and tropical notes
on the nose; classic feel. Sip of pomegranate and rose. The sip dives miliar if unremarkable corn-like sweetness collide in the nose. The sip
continues the orange theme: into tropical territory, with on the nose; light tropical goes from 0 to 60 in less
broad citrus. Omnipresent punchy, lightly bitter notes. Gives way to a than a second, with full-
bitterness sneakily evades tropical/citrus fruit. Mid- body that takes tropical bore ragged bitterness.
detection, taking cover low bitterness maintains flavor (guava, passion Subtlety’s out the window.
under orange camouflage.” the fruit party. Just fruit) to 11.” Unreconstructed.”
ABV: 8.3% IBUs: 91 enough structure.” ABV: 9% IBUs: 72 ABV: 8.5% IBUs: N/A
Loc: Winston-Salem, ABV: 7.8% IBUs: 44 Loc: Salt Lake City, Utah Loc: Idaho Springs,
North Carolina Loc: Fort Collins, Colorado Colorado

94 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING

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All Together to Support Hospitality Professionals

At first out of work, and now increasingly on the front lines, hospitality workers have been among those most affected by the global pandemic. To support them
directly, the folks at Other Half Brewing in Brooklyn, New York, launched a worldwide collaboration called “All Together.” Procceds go to various local charities that
support those in need. So far, at least 825 breweries in 53 countries have signed on to brew an All Together beer. To learn more or to contribute, visit alltogether.beer.

96 | CRAFT BEER & BREWING