Darkness Takes Over the IPA

In the world of craft beer the west coast is known for one thing...hops.  Lots of them.  In some cases the beer unabashedly tastes more like a hop contest than an actual beer.  You know the what beers I am talking about, don't pretend you don't.  You develop bitter beer face and it has nothing to do with a domestic light lager. 

I can appreciate a good hoppy beer, but with the caveat that it must be in balance with the malt to truly be an exceptional brew.  So imagine my delight when I visited the Deschutes pub in Portland in January and had my very first Intergalactic Black IPA (cue the Beastie Boys now).   Now this is a beer to behold.  Warm roasted malts coupled with a bright citrus finish that left my taste buds confused but delighted. 

Fast forward to tonight and I pull their Hop in the Dark out of my fridge for a little hoptopia and the beer has evolved into one of their Bond Street Seasonals.  They prefer the name Cascadian Dark Ale as opposed to a Black IPA because well, this is the west coast and the authority on hopped up styles and pay homage to the native Cascade hops.  Now I must admit I liked the version in Portland a little better, (no doubt because I was in Portland) but Hop in the Dark transported me back to that fabulous beer city.  This is an exciting new frontier for the IPA beer style as the craft brewers once again are pushing boundaries. 

Paying it Forward with Beer

The craft beer movement is about so much more than beer.  Yes, beer is the reason for the movement but I contend that it is the culture of the people that takes a person from liking beer to falling in love with a brewery.  There are many attributes of the folks involved but one of  my favorites is the giving nature of the craft brewers. 

First example, Stone Brewing Company.  Their annual Anniversary Festivals are a celebration of great, great, beer.  But did you know that the festival is also a huge fundraiser for four amazing charities?  The Boys & Girls Clubs of San Marcos, Palomar family YMCA, Surfrider Foundation and Fight ALD all walk away with thousands of dollars to go forth and do their good work.  Talk about paying it forward.

Next, New Belgium Brewing and their bike-centric, costume circus, vaudeville meets beer fest, Tour de Fat.  This 13 city tour of sustainable folly will funnel funds directly back to biking advocacy groups, a mission that has long been at the forefront for NBB.  Did I mention that they do all of this in the most sustainable way possible?  Trucks run on bio-diesel, stages are powered by solar, vendors must be earth friendly and the beer cups are composted.  Take it a step further and one lucky person per city trades their gas guzzling automobile for a commuter bike and promises to live petrol free for the next year. 

Last, enter Deschutes Brewing.  They are what I call the masters of spreading their love.  They give away beer, cash, swag and goodwill to dozens of different charities.  They host golf tournaments and other events that bring the community together and benefit many different organizations.  Call it brewery karma as their following grows with every charity they help.

Cheers to the breweries that give back and pay it forward.  That makes me love you even more. 

Stone Brew 14th Anniversary Beer Fest Video!

Here is a little peek into my time at the Stone 14th Anniversary Beer Fest.  Excuse my amateur foray into video....