Today is National IPA Day! For me, everyday is IPA day, but it’s nice to know that there’s a day especially dedicated to this hoppy style of brew. I’m celebrating in the small community of McCarthy, Alaska, where IPA is the most popular style of beer aside from PBR. I feel the only reason people drink PBR here over IPA is the price. IPA requires a lot of hops, which makes it more expensive. When I brew a five gallon batch and I dry hop the beer to make it an IPA, I lose a gallon due to hop absorption. I need a huge french press to squeeze out the hops from the beer!
On Saturday Maria and I went to Cynosure Brewing, and were drinking a really fresh dry-hopped Hazy IPA called #005. We convinced the local restaurant in McCarthy “The Potato” to purchase a keg per our recommendation. The owner and beer purchaser for The Potato was an easy sell on a keg of IPA. She said that IPA is the most popular beer they sell at the restaurant! So the #005 is here and I can stop on in for a draft of the freshest IPA around. I have a 1/6 barrel keg, here at my cabin, of Glacier Brewhouse IPA, which I had bought a few days before I made it into Cynosure.
In honor of the important holiday, tonight I will be having a little IPA tasting. I have a couple of different selections from Anchorage Brewing and Broken Tooth Brewing, as well as the keg. Cheers to hoppy beers! IPA all the way!
Enjoying Cynosure Brewing’s #005 hazy IPA at The Potato in McCarthy, Alaska.
