Why do Rabbits like IPAs? Because they're hoppy!
April 12, 2024 4:25 PM Subscribe
I'm the Draft List at This Brewery, and No, You Can't Have a Light Beer
"Sure, we made a 'normal' IPA once. But then we were like, why make a beer that's enjoyable to drink when we could make a beer that's not?" [McSweeneys]
It does sound like the author doesn't like beer with hops...
Here in the bay area, there's lots of light options these days! 'Session' is a prefix that generally means <=4% ABV; Session IPAs were everywhere for the last couple years. And there's lots of 'West Coast Pilsner' lately, which really just means 'pilsner with lots of hops,' and also tends to be in the 5% ABV range.
But yah, if you don't like hops, you should either get into sours or choose a different coast.
posted by kaibutsu at 4:35 PM on April 12
Here in the bay area, there's lots of light options these days! 'Session' is a prefix that generally means <=4% ABV; Session IPAs were everywhere for the last couple years. And there's lots of 'West Coast Pilsner' lately, which really just means 'pilsner with lots of hops,' and also tends to be in the 5% ABV range.
But yah, if you don't like hops, you should either get into sours or choose a different coast.
posted by kaibutsu at 4:35 PM on April 12
The place here in the PNW that I frequent has had a dearth of interesting IPA choices available lately...
The Westy Roosevelt in Seattle. Food is great. Give Dave a big tip!
posted by Windopaene at 4:38 PM on April 12
The Westy Roosevelt in Seattle. Food is great. Give Dave a big tip!
posted by Windopaene at 4:38 PM on April 12
There was a brewery here with the motto “beer flavored beer”. They did have one triple IPA, but otherwise had a really good standard IPA a Brown ale and a Belgian table beer at under 5% ABV of course they went out of business.
posted by CostcoCultist at 4:50 PM on April 12 [2 favorites]
posted by CostcoCultist at 4:50 PM on April 12 [2 favorites]
As far as I'm concerned IPAs are how unscrupulous brewers cover up substandard brewing practices.
/s
After working in the yard for a couple hours on a really hot summer day, an IPA is really great; the rest of the time I'm not a fan. But I recognize that a lot of people like them and it's not all about me. My only real objection to IPAs is that for the past 10-15 years it's seemed like IPAs invariably take up about 75-80% of the space in every store's craft/microbrew beer section, making more full-bodied malty styles scarcer than hen's teeth. What about just one Scotch ale? A brown ale or two? Is a Marzen out of the question?? Hrumph.
Old Man Shakes Fist At Inflorescences
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:57 PM on April 12 [3 favorites]
/s
After working in the yard for a couple hours on a really hot summer day, an IPA is really great; the rest of the time I'm not a fan. But I recognize that a lot of people like them and it's not all about me. My only real objection to IPAs is that for the past 10-15 years it's seemed like IPAs invariably take up about 75-80% of the space in every store's craft/microbrew beer section, making more full-bodied malty styles scarcer than hen's teeth. What about just one Scotch ale? A brown ale or two? Is a Marzen out of the question?? Hrumph.
Old Man Shakes Fist At Inflorescences
posted by Greg_Ace at 4:57 PM on April 12 [3 favorites]
What’s good for a gose is good for a gander, I say.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:59 PM on April 12 [3 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:59 PM on April 12 [3 favorites]
One of the developments I’ve been happiest with in the craft beer world is in the increase in “non”-alcoholic decent beers. I like craft beer, but I’m in my forties and have various health issues and live away from public transit, and all of those things mean I am not often going to be able to drink.
So I’m pretty thankful that several decent craft breweries have NA offerings. Now if only my local would start carrying more of them..
posted by nat at 4:59 PM on April 12 [3 favorites]
So I’m pretty thankful that several decent craft breweries have NA offerings. Now if only my local would start carrying more of them..
posted by nat at 4:59 PM on April 12 [3 favorites]
(Oh, also I hate sours. Ugh. More gose for everyone else, I guess.)
posted by nat at 5:00 PM on April 12
posted by nat at 5:00 PM on April 12
My only real objection to IPAs is that for the past 10-15 years it's seemed like IPAs invariably take up about 75-80% of the space in every store's craft/microbrew beer section, making more full-bodied malty styles scarcer than hen's teeth.
This. The 75-80% is barely an exaggeration - there's a bunch of different breweries represented at my grocery store, but all with IPAs, double IPAs, triple IPAs, and hazy IPAs; and now more recently fruit IPAs. There's 5 different types of Sculpin alone, and the most common alternative is a blonde lager - like only the ends of the spectrum with barely anything in between! I have noticed a recent uptick of breweries offering Mexican-style lager and getting it placed in the stores, but that's still pretty light stuff. I felt like I struck gold a couple weeks ago when I went to a liquor store and found a saison.
posted by LionIndex at 5:06 PM on April 12 [3 favorites]
This. The 75-80% is barely an exaggeration - there's a bunch of different breweries represented at my grocery store, but all with IPAs, double IPAs, triple IPAs, and hazy IPAs; and now more recently fruit IPAs. There's 5 different types of Sculpin alone, and the most common alternative is a blonde lager - like only the ends of the spectrum with barely anything in between! I have noticed a recent uptick of breweries offering Mexican-style lager and getting it placed in the stores, but that's still pretty light stuff. I felt like I struck gold a couple weeks ago when I went to a liquor store and found a saison.
posted by LionIndex at 5:06 PM on April 12 [3 favorites]
I feel like this piece is several years too late. At least here in the Midwest, every brewery makes multiple simple and decidedly drinkable beers. In particular, Mexican lagers are de rigueur. At the brewery I work at, our taproom offers five beers at 5% or lower. We have a golden ale, Modelo-esque lager, a helles adjacent lager, a cold IPA, and a very mildly fruity passion fruit pale ale. My sensibility is that the industry has very much course corrected from the excesses of the milkshake days.
posted by barrett caulk at 5:07 PM on April 12 [4 favorites]
posted by barrett caulk at 5:07 PM on April 12 [4 favorites]
A new (very) microbrewery opened up a few miles from my house recently. I live in suburban New Jersey, so this is not an every day occurrence. When I dropped in for a few crowlers to go, I was pleased to see they had a pale ale, a pilsner, an ESB, and a porter, all between 5 and 6% alcohol by volume. Of course they had a few IPAs, but at least one clocked under 7% and was billed as a traditional IPA. I've seen this at a few other very local breweries recently, too. At least here, it seems like this trend is just beginning, and it's not reflected in the selection offered in liquor stores yet. I like this trend. I love hops, but I also prefer them to be balanced with the malt.
posted by mollweide at 5:18 PM on April 12 [1 favorite]
posted by mollweide at 5:18 PM on April 12 [1 favorite]
We're definitely swinging back on this trend - except for the hipstery places.
He says as he finished chilling a Clam Chowdah Saison. *sigh* I'm part of the problem aren't I?
Also, oddly, one of my favorite beers in LA right now is a 3.5% bitter called "Tread Lightly Rabbit For There Are Enemies About"
posted by drewbage1847 at 5:20 PM on April 12 [1 favorite]
He says as he finished chilling a Clam Chowdah Saison. *sigh* I'm part of the problem aren't I?
Also, oddly, one of my favorite beers in LA right now is a 3.5% bitter called "Tread Lightly Rabbit For There Are Enemies About"
posted by drewbage1847 at 5:20 PM on April 12 [1 favorite]
Oh I feel this. The “craft” beer scene here in the PNW has become an exercise in “how much hops can I cram into this (so-called) beer?”
I feel like a truer measure of actual beer-brewing craft is a good lager or Pilsner. There’s one place that brews a malt liquor in the summer and it sooo good, not at all Colt-45, if you know what I mean.
All you kids get away from my lager.
posted by dbmcd at 5:29 PM on April 12
I feel like a truer measure of actual beer-brewing craft is a good lager or Pilsner. There’s one place that brews a malt liquor in the summer and it sooo good, not at all Colt-45, if you know what I mean.
All you kids get away from my lager.
posted by dbmcd at 5:29 PM on April 12
Coworkers wanted to go out for a drink after work and they picked a pub-style restaurant near work. I don't usually drink but would drank something if I could tell i'd like it, but this place had gone all fancy beer and expected me to order from an elaborate menu of microbrews and specialty beers that could easily have just been a bunch randomized words, I couldn't process it. I ordered a Mountain Dew instead.
posted by AzraelBrown at 5:36 PM on April 12
posted by AzraelBrown at 5:36 PM on April 12
Come to Denver, where we have entire breweries that specialize in lagers and pilsners and other beers I hate!
posted by McBearclaw at 5:37 PM on April 12
posted by McBearclaw at 5:37 PM on April 12
Years ago my wife gave me a beer-of-the month club subscription as a birthday present. There were always one or more over-hopped selections that had the bouquet of a rubber tire burning in a junkyard. Not a fan. Most of the rest were standard beery-beers. But two that stood out were a saison and a milk stout. Those I would buy again...
posted by jim in austin at 5:41 PM on April 12
posted by jim in austin at 5:41 PM on April 12
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posted by They sucked his brains out! at 4:30 PM on April 12 [1 favorite]