First, I absolutely need to start off by sending out a HUGE thank you to everyone that came out to our 7th Anniversary Oktoberfest party last weekend. The day was a huge success for us and the support we we’ve been shown from our friends, family and community over the years Idle Hands has been operating has been humbling to say the least. We’re grateful everyday when people happily order our beer or take some to enjoy at home, and with that support, you allow us to keep doing what we love. Now with that mushy stuff out of the way, we’re still eyeing the horizon to push our product further. To do that, we turn to our experimental IPA series, Change Up to test out new formulations to deliver you a better hop forward ale. This week, we introduce Change Up #14 with a focus on hops from Southern Hemisphere!
I’m guessing if you’re involved enough in the craft beer scene to follow our newsletter, you’ve probably heard about hops like Galaxy, Nelson Sauvin, and Vic Secret. They’re pretty popular varietals, to say the least. What do they have in common? They’re all coming from the Southern Hemisphere, specifically New Zealand and Australia. Known for explosive tropical fruit flavors and aromas, these hops are playing a part in some, if not most of the most acclaimed hop forward ales in the world. While our Seam IPAs have largely focused on American hop varieties (with the exception of Galaxy Four Seam and Two Seam because of our limited supply of those hops), we hope to some day offer a somewhat regularly available IPA that focuses on those enticing hop varietals. With Change Up #14, we’ve focused on the varietal Motueka. For long time IHCA fans, Motueka was a key ingredient in Enlightenment’s Illumination Farmhouse IPA. Known for it’s bright burst of lemon-lime flavors and aromas, it takes center stage in Change Up #14. It’s backed up by a combination of Simcoe, Cascade, and Amarillo; creating a foundation of fresh squeeze orange juice flavors. The beers body is soft and rounded to deliver waves of intense tropical flavor.
The intense fruit flavors and touch of malt sweetness would stand up to the heartiest aged sharp cheddar cheese or a meal of hot and rich smoked brisket. Even though the weather is finally cooling into fall temperatures, maybe this tropical delight can help you hang on to those warmer thoughts for just a little bit longer. We’ll debut the new IPA today in our taproom for pours and Freshies. We’re still well stoked with Four Seam and 34 canned less than a week ago and the last bit of Brocktober fest to close out the festbier season. Cheers! — Lead Brewer Brett Bauer
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