Na Zdravi !: Drive Thru Red Ale

Friday, June 15, 2018

Drive Thru Red Ale

Gordon Biersch Brewing (San Jose, CA) ... for Trader Joe's

"Inspired by drives through California’s majestic redwoods, Drive Thru Red Dry Hopped Red Ale is a deep amber red ale with strong caramel undertones and a rich, malty finish. Thanks to the dry hopping (adding hops to the brewing kettles after fermentation), the beer delivers festive, herbal hop aromas, but not so much hop bitterness on the palate. It’s really well balanced and delightfully drinkable."

Different, but drinkable. Oddly sweet but with decent maltiness.
A great value at $6 a six.

ABV 7.2%,IBU 42

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.