Na Zdravi !: Sidecar Orange IPA

Friday, April 20, 2018

Sidecar Orange IPA

"We pushed the complex and citrus-heavy flavors of hops to a new level with this orange-infused IPA. Combining bright and bold hops with real orange in the fermenter creates layers of citrus-crazy flavors, yet it maintains a balance and a crisp hop bite that make it the perfect aromatic IPA."

Replacing Sidecar Pale Ale is the brand new Sidecar Orange IPA. They turned up the ABV and IBU's (was 5.3 and 35).
Still very tasty. More bitter than the pale, resinous. The orange flavor is very subtle. I see this as a great BBQ beer as it would pair well with so many foods and is still, for me, a "summer beer".

ABV 6.8%,IBU 45
Hops: Magnum, Crystal, Simcoe
Malt: Two-Row Pale, Carmel, Acidulated
Yeast: Ale Yeast
Orange Peel

Na Zdravi!

A 10-second take.
Not really reviews, just my way to keep track of the beers I've tried.

My mother's family is Czech. They emigrated from Bohemia and settled in Nebraska in the mid-1800s.
They were from the region that included the town Pilzen (Pilsen) where a brewery called Měšťanský pivovar Plzeň, now Pilsner Urquell (Plzeňský Prazdroj in Czech), started brewing a uniquely Bohemian-style beer we now know as pilsner.
So, as I raise a glass in honor of my Bohemian roots ...

Na Zdravi! (to your health).

Hops?

A "hop" is the cone shaped resinous flower of the female hop plant. It is used in brewing to add bitterness, flavor, aroma, and stability depending on when it is added.

Hops are one of the 4 basic ingredients of beer although they are not esential in the brewing process. The are used simply to add flavor and complexity to the brew.
Double and even triple IPA's feature an extreme amount of hops, and an ABV to match.
Noble Hops - The traditional varieties of hops that were used to make early European beers. Medieval brewers used Hallertau, Saaz, Spalt, and/or Tettnang hops. All are from Germany except Saaz from the Czech Republic (Žatec in Czech). All are still used today.