I come from a land down under

For National IPA Day we bring you PARADOX BREWERY's SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE DOUBLE IPA.  As the beer style of Northeast IPA (NEIPA) cultivates the super juicy citrus flavor many of us have come to love, brewers are turning to hops grown in New Zealand and Australia. Southern hemisphere hops bring tropical and overwhelmingly bright, fruity characteristics to the party.

in this beer, PARADOX uses hops from the southern hemisphere plus oats to get their magical liquid gold. It is playing around with the ratios of hops as well as adding other ingredients that make the proprietary differences that change the notes from one craft brewer to the next. Paradox has captured the ideal formula to produce a quintessential Northeast IPA.

The pour gives a fluffy, foamy head.  Initially you are hit with the bitter citrus flavors that quickly change to more sweet mango notes.  It ends with a mellow mouth feel. It's sweeter than other NEIPAs, but that's not a bad thing. 

NEIPAs made with southern hemisphere hops tend to bring the citrus tang, but PARADOX has crafted a particularly excellent example of that variety.  Another perfect summer beer for your weekend!  

HAPPY NATIONAL IPA to all!

If you steal my Sunshine....

Lawson's SIP OF SUNSHINE is a New England IPA.  Some would say it's the Coke to The Alchemist HEADY TOPPER's Pepsi. Arguments continue in Vermont to this day as to which is a better example of this New England IPA style.  It has a deeper golden (sunshine) color in comparison to HEADY.  You get the citrus mango flavors you expect of a NE IPA, but I find it has a more bitter/hoppy finish on the back of the tongue, like a regular IPA.  

This is a great summer grilling beer.  It would pair well with a greasy cheeseburger or a marbleized steak like a Delmonico or a Tri-tip. Drink up and enjoy! This one goes down easy but be wary of the 8% alcohol- it packs a punch.

Seeking beer's Holy Grail...

Found the holy grail. Bought the glass. Heady Topper floating in its signature tulip glass.

It's spoken of as "THE" craft beer from the northeast, and has developed it's own mythos:  they say you can only get it on days it is delivered to a local store in the Stowe, VT area... with long wait lines and purchase limits.  While this was once true when they only had a location in Waterbury, VT, but with the opening of the second brewing location in Stowe in 2016, it has become more readily available. On a recent trip (while staying at great dog-friendly cabins 20 min north, btw... www.muddymoosevt.com) I finally got to try it.

When poured in the brewery's own tulip glass if formed a beautiful head, and you can see its rich unfiltered goodness.  I know they say you can drink directly from the can...but I felt the glass gave the best experience. You can smell the citrus and pine notes as you tilt the glass to your nose.  It did not disappoint as I drank it down.  It has everything an IPA lover is looking for:  bitterness, malt and citrus flavors.  It does this without having the strong alcohol taste that some DIPAs have.  It has a nice smooth finish that makes you want to open another can.  

Here's the company's website so you can begin your own search- www.alchemistbeer.com.