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Bursting with tropical and citrus hops, this NEIPA has been dubbed the big bang of flavor. Our hazy, interstellar beer is so oft your tongue will think its floating in space.
Submitted by Bev Blackwood on Wed, 2019-01-30 11:16
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We spoke with Odell Brewing Co. Chief Operating Officer Brendan McGivney about Rupture.
Who was responsible for this beer’s recipe?
All recipe development at Odell Brewing is a group effort from our R&D team. We are a proudly independent, employee-owned brewery, and we truly believe we achieve the best results through collaboration.
What sets this beer apart from other examples within the style?
We did not know of any other Fresh Grind Ale styles in the market, so we wanted to share our experience with the process beyond our pilot system and taproom.
What makes this beer truly World-Class?
The hop farmers! It is thanks to their hard work and dedication that we have access to this incredible raw material. We just wanted to unlock the potential of the hop cone immediately before adding it to the wort and beer. We utilize whole hop flowers as well as pelletized hops in our other beers, but we felt we could unlock maximum flavor and aroma potential with freshly ground flowers in Rupture. We did this by installing a custom hammer mill at our brewery. The whole flower hops are 'ruptured' in the hammer mill and are immediately thrown into the brew.
What is your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, mouthfeel, etc.)?
The uniquely fresh hop aroma and flavor, it takes me back to the middle of hop harvest!
We spoke with Odell Brewing Co. Head Brewer Bill Beymer about Cloud Catcher Milkshake IPA.
BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Cloud Catcher was developed by a collaborative brewmaster group of Odell brewers. When we set out to design a new beer, we brew a number of test batches on our 5-bbl pilot system to help us explore the potential attributes each brew has to offer. This group of people will each brew their idea of that style of beer. Development of this one was made up of dozens of different iterations of Milkshake IPAs before we finally determined the Cloud Catcher recipe.
BC: What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
There is so much fruit character in this beer and every bit of it is contributed only by hops. While the aroma is intensely satisfying and conjures images of fresh squeezed fruit juices like oranges, pineapple and peach, the flavor and mouthfeel are the stars of the experience. The complex fruit flavors with the creamy mouthfeel contributed by residual lactose and oat sugars really make for a pleasant drinking experience.
We spoke with pFriem Family Brewers Head Brewer Gavin Lord about Barrel Aged Saison II.
BC: Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Our recipe development is always a collaborative process, but longtime pFriem Brewer and Blender Shawn Grover really led the charge on inspiring our series of barrel-aged Saisons.
We spoke with Church Street Brewing Co. Head of Brewery Operations Thomas Bachorz about Devil's Advocate.
Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Our Brewmaster and owner Joe came up with the recipe as it exists today after I brewed a test batch of Belgian blonde with different yeast back in 2012. It has since been tweaked to balance out the extremely dry finish by altering our hop additions and adding the right kinds of sugar to give the beer just the right residual sweetness. A change in the yeast turned it into an extremely high attenuator and it became our signature year-round high-gravity offering.
We spoke with Door County Brewing Co. Head Brewer Danny McMahon and Assistant Head Brewer Kyle Gregorash about Clawhammer Pilsner.
Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Our Assistant Head Brewer, Kyle, had been eager to brew a Pilsner for quite some time—so for Clawhammer, we gave him control over the recipe.
What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
We love the drinkability and crispness of Clawhammer.
Where does this beer’s name come from?
The term clawhammer comes from a particular banjo playing style, where the hand assumes a claw-like shape and the strumming finger is kept fairly stiff.
Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Dry, crisp, and refreshing with notes of tangerine and citrus.
What's a good food pairing for this beer?
A high-quality Wisconsin cheese board or brat.
We spoke with Door County Brewing Co. Head Brewer Danny McMahon and Assistant Head Brewer Kyle Gregorash about Punk Ass Cat.
Who came up with this beer’s recipe?
Our Head Brewer, Danny, developed this recipe—it was a variation of a few different hazy IPA recipes that we were working with at the time.
What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?
We love the big juicy notes in the aroma.
Where does this beer’s name come from?
The name comes from a line in the movie "Me and Earl and the Dying Girl."
Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less?
Juicy notes of orange, pear and watermelon.
What's a good food pairing for this beer?
Street tacos.
