Brewers within reach of farm fresh hops go to great lengths to plan their brewing operations and recipes around these highly anticipated seasonal beers. As a hop ingredient that is dependent upon the unpredictable nature of hop farming, brewers traditionally get one shot each year to clear their kettles and make it happen.

YCH 301 Trial is part of the Yakima Chief Hops Elite Product Trial program. It combines the ground-breaking concept of Frozen Fresh Hops and the innovative technology of Cryo Hops® to pioneer a new way to brew fresh hop ales with a pelletized product.

YCH 301 Trial requires a two-part production process. First, freshly harvested, unkilned whole cone hops undergo a flash freezing process in a state-of-the-art BRC-certified food processing facility. This helps retain the delicate nuances of fresh hops from both a physical and aromatic perspective by protecting cell wall and lupulin gland integrity. This results in a product that preserves the magic of fresh hop aromas and flavors. The Frozen Fresh Hops are then produced into concentrated lupulin pellets with YCH’s fully patented cryogenic hop processing technology that gently separates the whole cones and isolates the lupulin. The lupulin containing the aromatic hop oils is preserved using extremely low temperatures and a nitrogen-rich, low oxygen environment during the entire process. This creates a concentrated lupulin, fresh hop product that can be used anywhere in the brewhouse

Cryo Fresh™ hops make a wet hop IPA possible, anytime. And Cryo Fresh™ Torpedo® is the first nationally available IPA to feature their extreme notes of citrus, stone fruit, and fresh harvest magic.

Hops hit their peak right when they’re picked, but they fade fast. So the innovators at Yakima Chief Hops set out to keep them fresh, forever. Using freshly picked hops — still undried (“wet”) — Yakima Chief runs a patented cryogenic process to remove the hop leaves and isolate the jackpot inside: pure lupulin, the source of aroma and flavor.

Sierra Nevada designed a special blend of these Cryo Fresh hops, officially named YCH® 301 Trial hops, to give Cryo Fresh Torpedo its explosive layers of grapefruit, orange, passion fruit and mango — harvest flavors straight from the field.

The post Frozen Fresh Hops Put Torpedo In The Heart Of Harvest first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post Frozen Fresh Hops Put Torpedo In The Heart Of Harvest appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

Let’s get to the basics. How do you define a Cold IPA? Is it similar to IPL or India Pale Lager? Or is it just an IPA with lager yeast with an IPA hopping schedule? The real separation point for Cold IPAs, is that they are brewed with lager yeast rather than ale yeast, which is what most IPAs are made with. But rather than letting the wort ferment at the cold temperatures that lager yeasts are usually used at, they are fermented at higher temperatures. The goal is to create a clear IPA that is also a bit more crisp and clean than a typical ale. Here’s what Nate Ross, Head Brewer at Alchemy, had said when asked to define the style. “We approached brewing this particular Cold IPA using a lager yeast and fermented at warmer temperatures. A very hoppy adjunct lager is one way to describe it, but it’s still an IPA at heart. We added Gladfield Maize Malt to help keep the body lean and the hop bill was West Coast IPA style with Simcoe and Citra which provided great balance for a punchy and juicy hop profile.”

On the similar lines, Umang Nair, Brewmaster at BLR Brewing Co. had commented saying “According to me, Cold IPA is a warm fermented lager (lower end of ale temperatures) using adjuncts like rice/maize as a significant part of the grain bill and primarily showcases the hops. Most of the hops are added during the boil and fermentation to achieve maximum flavor and intense aroma. The beer by itself is light bodied, crisp and clean with no crystal malts. The bitterness for this style is between 50-70 IBUs and to balance out, the ABV is on the higher end of the spectrum at 7-8%. To answer your question, I think a Cold IPA has characteristics of both a crisp lager with adjuncts and the hopping schedule of a West Coast IPA packed with all the flavor and aroma.”

“Cold IPA has characteristics of both a crisp lager with adjuncts and the hopping schedule of a West Coast IPA packed with all the flavor and aroma.” – Umang Nair, Brewmaster, BLR Brewing Co.

Cold IPAs are a great way to showcase the hop characteristics. Nate agrees saying that the malt body in Cold IPA’s are typically very light and brewed with 20% or more adjunct for further dryness so the hops can really do their thing without any other malt character or residual sweetness getting in the way.

Alchemy x BLR Brewing Co.

But considering this is a style that has never been brewed in India before, what prompted you to brew a Cold IPA at Alchemy? We asked Nate to understand his thought process. “I had tried a number of Cold IPA’s from some Aussie craft breweries that I really enjoyed. I have actually brewed similar hoppy beers in the past so I guess you could say that they were instantly to my taste. Particularly these kind of leaner, drier IPA styles with higher bitterness.” explains Nate.

“How and why did you two get together and what was the thought process behind brewing this relatively new style?” We picked Umang’s brain to understand his side of the story. He responded saying “We’ve been planning a collaboration for quite some time now, years to be honest. Finally, we met up at a beer event where we decided to do something different. Nate was already ideating with the Cold IPA. I’ve been wanting to brew a Cold IPA since the moment I heard about it, a few months ago. It sounded like quite the beer. I think the timing was brilliant and thought we should get together and brew it.” He goes on to say “The whole idea of a Cold IPA is to bring in something different and new to the market. We wanted it to be super hoppy and flavorful. The mouthfeel and body are like a sessionable light lager and have a dry and smooth finish. We used maize as an adjunct to create this beer. The beer wasn’t overpowering in any aspect. And achieving that would be a definite win for us.”

“We approached brewing this particular Cold IPA using a lager yeast and fermented at warmer temperatures. A very hoppy adjunct lager is one way to describe it, but it’s still an IPA at heart. We added Gladfield Maize Malt to help keep the body lean and the hop bill was West Coast IPA style with Simcoe and Citra which provided great balance for a punchy and juicy hop profile.” – Nate Ross, Head Brewer, Alchemy

“We both loved the idea of Cold IPA and were super keen to get brewing one at Alchemy straight away. It was an awesome learning curve for the both of us, and in typical collaboration spirit we even came up with the idea of adding sugarcane jaggery to the beer for a local twist which was such a lovely addition that may not have happened otherwise.” says Nate.

Cold IPA Clone Recipe

Start by keeping the malt bill simple. An 80/20 blend of low color base malt to adjunct such as rice or a maize is a good starting point. These are high attenuating beers so mash on the lower side around 65-66^oC. Nate aims for 50-60 IBUs, depending on the target ABV, which will be in the 7-7.5% territory. He says “I treat the hopping schedule similar to a WCIPA and any highly aromatic variety will work well throughout whirlpool and dry-hop. As for fermentation I would advise to use a clean lager strain such as W-34/70 and ferment at 16-18^oC until the final gravity is stable over a few days. Allow a few weeks conditioning time and ensure the beer has good clarity. Finally, drink and enjoy your Cold IPA as fresh as possible!”

The Cold IPA at Alchemy has been brewed with Maize and Jaggery as adjuncts and hopped with doses of Simcoe and Citra in intervals. It is highly quaffable with an ABV of 7%. “A drinker can expect a very tropical, citrusy and highly drinkable lager and at around 7% it’s quite deceptive so even though it’s quite crushable, the alcohol can sneak up on you!” warns Umang as he signs off.

Head over to the Alchemy to check it out and get yourself a pint of this Cold Collaboration!

The post The Story Behind Cold IPA – A Collaboration By Alchemy & BLR Brewing Co. first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post The Story Behind Cold IPA – A Collaboration By Alchemy & BLR Brewing Co. appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

India Pale Ale is originally a British style IPA which was born out of necessity to export homegrown ales for the British troops who were stationed in India centuries ago. It all happened when the brewers understood the significance of hops in combination with higher strength ales which led to a longer shelf life of beers. Now without heading towards the classic and often trotted out ‘IPA origin story’, let’s talk about the beer style by definition and how it has evolved into an array of sub-styles.

The original India Pale Ale, as discussed earlier, is historically a British export pale ale of moderate strength with a hop-forward character and a medium malty base. A highly attenuated beer that is clear and bright with notes of citrus fruit, floral and spice courtesy of classic English hops. Although a classic, in the modern world, English IPAs are often deemed as boring, when compared to American IPAs as they are more bright, fruity and bursting with flavors. Despite this, there are still many brewers around the world who are still sticking to the basics. We asked Geroge Jacob who’s the Brewmaster at The Beer Chronicles to explain his perspective on the significance of English IPAs. “I understand where the boring expectation comes from. But in all honesty, IPAs in the UK have also been pushing towards the whole fruit forward beers that the yanks do. Traditionally (without going into the whole story of hop additions and beer transport to India), English IPAs showcase the very, very high quality malts that come out of the country.” he explains. George has been brewing English style IPAs since eons and had picked up his approach from the UK. He adds, “I’ve always felt that a good beer showcases all its ingredients to some extent – and a truly malty, yet bitter, IPA gives us the opportunity to experience some of those gorgeous toasted, caramelized malts we find in England.”

The (R)evolution

Time traveling through the centuries from here had only led us to the American craft beer revolution. A lot has happened to the IPA since Anchor Brewing Co. started using Cascade Hops in the 1970s. The style, from here on, had evolved significantly. With a typical American zeal, US craft brewers amped it up to a whole new dimension by adding a boatload of hops which resembled a kind of “space race” with one another nation. Eventually, this created a stark contrast between typical American IPAs and British IPAs. Since then, the style has seemingly split into a plethora of sub categories such as Black IPA, Double IPA, Triple IPA, Hazy IPA, West Coast IPA, Red IPA, Brut IPA, IPL and Cold IPA, not necessarily in this order.

With Hazy IPAs, there has been an immense shift away from the old school hop bitterness of an IPA. Styles like Hazy IPA, East Coast IPA and Brut IPA emphasized more on the aroma and flavor characteristics of hops rather than dosing them with a bitter charge. In just a few years, the focus had seismically shifted from upping the hop bitterness to upping the hop character. This triggered more research for increasing the thiol production to facilitate biotransformation, which refers to the development of new aromas and flavors as result of yeast interaction with hop compounds. Brewers use mid-fermentation dry hopping to promote biotransformation and the development of highly sought after aromas. It’s a perfect harmony of hops and yeast to produce Juicy IPAs.

Hops have also transformed from time to time. It all began from whole cone hops to pellets to extracts and soluble compounds. It has changed the brewers approach in brewing some of the complex styles like Hazy or a Juicy IPA. Dry hopping is a double edged sword, while it adds a ton of character to a beer, it also reduces the final yield marginally and to address it, many leading hop suppliers have come up with hop soluble compounds and extracts. These products give the IPAs clean bitterness along with aroma and flavor since they pack concentrated hop oils. As they are compact in volume, brewers use it carefully yet minimally thus increasing the final yield. Products like these come in a liquid form and they have no oxygen to hide anywhere. This helps to manage the oxygen ingress during the brewing process in order to keep the beer super fresh.

“When we look back on the history of making beers, there was no role for hops. They weren’t added into the wort. People added herbs & spices to the beer which we know as gruit. Despite that, they were still not satisfied with the result. For the first time ever, hops were introduced to beer by a group of Monks who brewed beer in Germany outside of Munich.” says Shaan Koley, Head Brewer at Windmills Craftworks.

“The experiment followed with a different variety of hops from different regions in various countries. Today, we see the brewers have been using hops in every beer style in various stages. while brewing for better flavor characteristics, taste, sustainability and for the long shelf life of beer. The evolution of hops from time to time became a revolution with different forms available in the market. In my early days of brewing, I used to throw pelletized hops in beer and then got introduced to Cryo hops (which is Lupulin extract from the hops). I’ve also used whole hops while brewing at home.” says Shaan.

He along with his team has been experimenting with a liquid dry hopping product called Spectrum which improves the final volume of dry hopped beers along with the addition of vibrant hop character to it. Shaan commented saying “Now that I have got introduced to the Spectrum (Liquid Dry Hopping product), it has changed the entire brewing experience. I would say every brewer should use it in their brewhouse and it saves time. Hop flavors are long lasting in every sip of beer and most importantly beer wastage, while avoiding vegetal notes that we typically notice when using pellets.”

The Next IPA

IPAs are a celebration of drinkability and balance. That’s what it meant when modern English IPAs were churned out. It only evolved from there to glorify the aroma and flavor with the rise of Hazies. We are currently riding the wave of crispy IPLs (India Pale Lager) and Cold IPAs which are essentially a new spin on IPAs that are clean, crisp and refreshing like a lager with, you guessed it, IPA like characteristics. On the other hand, Pinthouse Pizza and Brewing, a brewery in Austin, TX brews a hazy IPA with Kölsch yeast strain to make it more juicy and interesting. “Electric Jellyfish is a hazy, Austin-style IPA, focusing on the juicy hop flavor and aroma from our favorite farmers while keeping the bitterness balanced and refreshing,” says Joe Mohrfeld, brewmaster at Pinthouse Pizza and Brewing as quoted on Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine.

What’s the next big thing in this crazy world of IPAs? Where is it headed? This is exactly what we asked Mr. Ajay Nagarajan, CEO of Windmills Craftworks. This is what he had to say, “Fruited IPAs and Fruited Hazy IPAs have been around for some time. This IPA style is seeing steady growth in the USA and plays an important role in bringing non beer or non IPA drinkers into the fold. When brewed with care, the fruit addition often complements the hops used delivering a low IBU and extremely fruity IPA. Fruit+Hops+Hazy Yeast combined all that is happening in the biotransformation world and the ever changing hopping techniques makes this style a constantly evolving one and fun to imbibe. With aseptic fruit purees available from all over the world, this style has a long way to go before it gets boring.”

The last decade has been a wild ride for the IPAs. It played a crucial role in pushing the boundaries of a traditional style. Only time will tell where we’re headed in this roller coaster journey of IPAs. So, hop on the saddle and buckle up, we can tell you one thing, this ride is far from over!

Thank you for joining us on this ride. We’d like to wish all of our readers and hopheads a Happy National IPA Day!

The post The Evolution of Modern IPAs first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post The Evolution of Modern IPAs appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

Commercial breweries weren’t the only ones to age their beers. The majority of beer consumed in the UK until the mid-19th century came from domestic breweries, which were brewed in a residence for the use of the family, staff and guests. Due to the lack of commercial considerations, the household brewer could afford to let beer age for what seems today like an eternity.

Two methods of conditioning ale were used in the 18th and 19th centuries. Either it could be sold “mild”, just a few days after it has been racked into barrels or it could be “stock,” aged for months or even years before it was sold.

The taste for fresh ales as against stock ales is set in some 20 years or more ago. Even in the 20th century, a few long-aged beer brands stayed, keeping alive the ancient tradition. A variety of long barrel-aged beers have been produced in Britain over the centuries, both commercially and privately. Some of the beers were October beer, Stock Pale Ale, Russian Stout, Majority Ale and a few others.  

Barrel-Aged Russian Stout

The Russian Stout was first brewed for Catherine the Great, the last reigning Empress of Russia. In her court the beer was given time to mature fully. It wasn’t out of the ordinary if the stout was barrel-aged for a year or two. Barclay Perkins advertisements in the 1930s, boasted a minimum of two years’ ageing in wooden vats, even though such ageing had become a rarity, then. 

The wild yeast in the Russian Stout slowly makes its way through the sugars which are less fermentable. The process then drops the racking gravity by boosting the ABV from 9 percent to 10.5 percent. 

Barrel-Aged Majority Ale

The domestically brewed Majority Ale was served by the landowner William Younger to show off. The main agenda was to entertain thousands of guests. These beers were served along with Oxen and Sheep steaks and roasts. Beer, not just the regular beer but the barrel-aged majority ale was the centre of the celebrations. Best ingredients were used to brew, the same would be laid down in a cellar and forgotten for 21 years. The beer was a privilege for the Younger family. At every birth a miniature brew of majority ale was produced in the brewery and carefully stored to be drunk 21 years later.

Barrel-Aged October Beer

The October Beer was brewed by the local gentry which were also important households before 1850. The gentry were very proud of the special October beer which was brewed only twice a year (March and October) and served only to the honoured guests. The preferred time was October because of the cold weather post the month. The beer was brewed keeping in mind the temperature which would be perfect for initial fermentation and as the weather becomes colder the fermentation slows down and stops. Again during spring, the yeast wakes up to complete the second fermentation. Patience is the key for the perfect October Beer. These beers were kept to mature for three to ten years. 

Barrel-Aged Stock Pale Ale

Victorian Brits and the East India Company officials the discerning IPA drinkers preferred a mature one, unlike the IPA that we drink these days. The matured one was something like a Bass Pale Ale. The method of fermentation for a Bass was not like the others. It was not carefully done. After being racked into casks, it was piled up in the brewery yard, open to the elements, with only a little wetted straw in the warmest weather as protection. After a year of this brutal treatment, it was deemed ready to be shipped to India, toughened enough during its time in the yard to survive the long trip. The beers usually were 18 months old. 

Towards the end of 1800s, unfortunately the barrel-aged beer fell out of fashion but with a handful of them clinging on. Well, the new age brewers since a few years are rediscovering the aged beers and their offerings. Let’s get the tradition back. 

The post The History Of Barrel-Aged Beer first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post The History Of Barrel-Aged Beer appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

Well Cold IPA, unlike its name, isn’t about the temperature you drink it at and definitely isn’t an IPA that is enjoyed “on the rocks” either. It is about process and ingredients. It’s a new spin on IPAs that is clean, crisp and refreshing like a lager with IPA characteristics without leaning too far into being a lager-style. This is often debatable among the brewing community and there are always two sides to it. Those two camps are: the “IPA with lager yeast” approach and the “Dry-hopped Lager”. So, which one is it?

The Definition

Curious to know, we’ve asked Callaway Ryan, Director of Brewing Operations at Windmills Brewpub in Texas, to shine some light on Cold IPA’s definition. Here’s what he had to say.

“For me, a Cold IPA is an adjunct lager with an IPA hopping schedule. It should be highly attenuated, but not necessarily as harsh on the palate as a west-coaster. Given the delicate body and high degree of attenuation, avoid going too high on the IBU scale. Dry-hopping can be a little challenging with lagers, so I hope to do some experiments with hop-dipping and downstream hop products on our next go-around.” explains Callaway Ryan.

The Cold IPA strives to create a balance of being clean and crisp. For this, yeast is really critical as it allows the hops to emphasise and really stand out instead of being a product of what the ale yeast adds. Is Cold IPA a perfect foundation to highlight the hop characteristics?

“Cold IPA can be a more delicate beer in my experience, so it requires a deft hand. Grassiness and harsh bitterness really stand out when you’re making what is otherwise basically a Bud Light clone, but it also leaves a huge platform for hop flavours and aromas.” says Ryan.

Cold IPA at Windmills

Windmills Brewpub in Texas currently features a Cold IPA on tap and soon it is expected to be brewed at their Bangalore outlet. Their ‘Root Down’ – a Cold IPA in Texas, expresses the aroma of guava and stone fruit with a hint of pine. It is golden yellow in appearance with a very light, soft body that is complemented by a clean, crisp bitterness that’s perfect for IPA lovers. With a clean finish and a light lingering, lemon peel like flavour, their IPA is super juicy and refreshing.

“We brew our Cool IPA with about 20% rice to give a soft but crisp mouthfeel. We used Mosaic, Amarillo and Cascade hops to give it a hop profile of big, juicy IPA . All of our lagers are brewed with lager yeast – 34/70.” explains Ryan.

We ask, “How has the reception been for the Windmills’ Cold IPA?” Ryan responds saying “Nothing really competes with our Hefeweizen and Blonde in terms of volume, but it’s our third best seller. The restrained bitterness and light body definitely helps. Many of our newer customers appreciate the hop profile of a big, juicy IPA without the baggage of a West Coast’s overbearing bitterness or the big mouthfeel of a hazy.”

The post What is a Cold IPA? first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post What is a Cold IPA? appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

India Pale Ales are extra hoppy brews whose origin dates back to 1815. In the last 50 years, American breweries have tried to put their own spin on this classic. They have tried to push the boundaries of how hoppy beers can be by brewing, Double IPA and Triple IPA. Let’s find out what the difference is between the IPA, Double IPA and Triple IPA.

Originally, the IPAs were not much stronger in alcohol than other ales, but the hoppy bitterness caught on, and during the mid-1800s, the IPA was being brewed and sold all over England. They come under the category of Pale Ales but unlike regular Pale Ales, India Pale Ales celebrate hops and tend to focus less on the flavours of the malt. Read more about India Pale Ales.

The American IPA slowly came to exist around the 1970s when American brewers tried to make their own version of this. In a race to make their beers hoppier, these brewers ended up brewing the Double IPA. After years of experimenting, some breweries have started making something called the Triple IPA as well. Let us look at all these beers individually.

American IPA

American breweries wanted to make their own version of the Indian Pale Ale, so they came up with the American IPA. They made sure their beers had a unique flavour and could stand out as a new beer style. This was because of the wide variety of hop styles that were available to them on their continent. 

The American Hops added fruity and/or citrusy notes to the original English IPA. The vital stats of the American IPA is almost the same as the English IPA. The English IPA is more of a malt-forward beer, while the American IPA is more hop-forward. Read more about American IPA.

Vital Stats of the American IPA

• ABV: 5.5% – 7.5%
• Bitterness: 40 – 70 IBU
• Colour: 6 – 14 SRM

Double IPA (DIPA)

Double IPA is the answer to the question ‘Can we make the American IPA hoppier?’. DIPAs are more hop-centric and extra fruity, it has an intense aroma and flavour when compared to regular IPAs. DIPAs are often referred to as Imperial IPAs as well.

A relatively new style of American IPA that has become more mainstream in the early 2000s to satisfy the need of hop ​​aficionados. Double IPAs have more malt and hop character when compared to English and American IPAs.

The DIPAs are richer in texture and are on the caramel/toasted side of the palate, thanks to the additional malts that were introduced in the brewing process.

Vital Stats of the Double IPA

• ABV: 7.5% – 10%
• Bitterness: 60 – 120 IBU
• Colour: 6 – 14 SRM

Triple IPA (TIPA)

Brewers around the world could not stop themselves from taking the IPA to the next level. The Triple IPA is a hoppier and richer beer with an ABV of over 10%. The TIPA is not a well-defined style of beer as of now but its popularity seems to be increasing day by day.

Triple IPA isn’t an official beer style that has been recognised by BJCP but it’s one of the newer styles that has made its way into the American beer landscape. Typically, Triple IPAs are very high in alcohol (upwards of 10% ABV). It’s a tricky style to brew as hop character, malt and alcohol need to be in balance to keep the drinkability in check.

The post What’s the difference between IPA, Double IPA and Triple IPA first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post What’s the difference between IPA, Double IPA and Triple IPA appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

This October, your favourite brewery, Brew Whale founded by two young lads from Mumbai – Pranav Mehra and Vedant Munshi completes two years of pouring freshly brewed craft beers to the cities of Mumbai and Pune. To celebrate its second anniversary, Brew Whale introduces an all new Anniversary Brew called “Two Good To Be True”, a New England IPA. On their 2nd anniversary, we reached out to Brew Whale to talk to us about their brand story and success. Here’s what they had to say!

Brew Whale’s Anniversary Interview

What’s the story behind the name Brew Whale?

While coming up with our Brand Name, we wanted to incorporate our passions – beer and the ocean. Brew and Whale were two words that resonated to both of us and our experiences. Pranav, being the passionate beer Connoisseur and true lover of the fermented grain, knew that his entrepreneurial future lay in brewing beer. Vedant, an avid scuba diver, on describing his experience under the surface, would almost certainly always mention a lucky sighting of a whale, being the one fish he would always hope to see on his dive. He thought, “Whale being the most desired fish you want to see on your dive, Brew Whale should be the most desired drink to have above the surface.” This was the birth of BREW WHALE.

The name truly defines our friendship and journey together and identifies with our passions. In concurrence with the name, Brew Whale has consciously dedicated their efforts towards Marine Conservation & overall environmental sustainability, and is slowly and steadily laying the foundation to protect and conserve our planet by bringing these efforts to the forefront of what we do.

Can you give us more details about the founders’ background and what they bring to the table at Brew Whale?

Vedant after his graduation, started his professional career in the Logistics space, after which he became involved in his family business – Construction and Real Estate. After 5 years of hard work, he decided to take a sabbatical, and it was at this time that the idea of starting a microbrewery was brewing. His love for beer goes back to his college days, and the age-old Cafe Mondegar would be a testament to that! Pranav, having studied and lived in the UK before his professional career took off for 3 years, was exposed to a sudden rush of freshly crafted and good beer popping up across the UK market, and developed an instant appreciation for a product that he previously thought was only limited to bottled commercial beer. Fresh craft beer quickly became his consumption choice, and it was easily available and relatively inexpensive. During his days in the UK, he frequented a lot of the local breweries and drank a lot of the locally made artisanal beer.

These visits made a big impression on Pranav, who by that time had already planted the seed that his entrepreneurial future lay in brewing beer. Pranav has always been a beer enthusiast, and was always open to trying all kinds of beers, whether bottled, canned, draught, or homebrewed product from his friends. He finally decided to quit his 9-5 job after 5 years and took the bold step towards following his passion.

A lot of hard work has gone into the creation of Brew Whale beers. Pranav and Vedant both spent the first few months understanding the beer market more than what they already thought they knew. They took a trip in 2015 to Europe to identify beer brands that could potentially suit the Indian palate. The trip included several pub-crawls, visits to numerous breweries, and a deranged bar hopping frenzy that served exotic and different beers.

Why did you decide to brew a New England style IPA to celebrate the anniversary of Brew Whale?

We wanted to brew something special for our customers, to celebrate our two-year anniversary. That’s when we thought of the NEIPA, since it’s a style that we haven’t brewed before and also something unique. The NEIPA had always been on our mind, and this was the perfect opportunity for us to experiment and add a new style to our beer matrix.

Could you elaborate more on “Two Good To Be True”? How many types of hops were used? Was it dry-hopped? Have you added wheat/oats to give this style a body to stand up to the juiciness?

Two Good To Be True, is our take on the New England IPA. It features an intense, tropical fruit centric, hop aroma and flavour. It is heavily dry-hopped giving it a fuller body and opaque hazy appearance with a juicy sweetness. NEIPAs are one of the latest and most unique additions to the IPA style, and we guarantee that this one is Two Good to be True!

In total we use 3 varieties of hops and yes wheat and oats was added to give it the haziness.

We’re curious to know about the team behind the exquisite label designs particularly for “Two Good To Be True”. How did Brew Whale come up with the theme?

Our “Two Good To Be True” label was designed by Mumbai-based creative agency Plane Crazy. We wanted a design which was timeless, encapsulating our invigorating journey so far. The Plane Crazy team went with a bold yet minimal illustration style to encompass our recurring aquatic theme, and depicted our milestones so far in a whimsical, unconventional way, and it truly turned out to be “Two Good To Be True”!

Since Brew Whale’s approach involves working with new and uncommon ingredients, what was the most bizarre and unique beer style that was ever brewed?

Brew Whale loves to experiment with different styles and unique ingredients in their beer. The couple of experimental styles that we’ve brewed till date are – Apple and Cinnamon Cider, Mango Lager and Lemon Spiced Ale.

The Lemon Spiced Ale is one which we would like to particularly talk about. It is a mildly hoppy wheat beer, infused with Lemons and Star Anise spice. The addition of the Lemons and Star anises, perfectly balances the mild hoppiness of the Beer and makes it a very light easy drinking day beer.

What are some of the best things about being a part of the Indian craft beer community?

The Indian Craft Beer Space has picked up in the last couple of years with a lot of new brands launching all over the Country. Earlier it used to concentrate in a few cities but now we have a lot of states opening giving the rise to a lot of Breweries across the country. We think the best part of the Indian Craft Beer community is that since this is such a small market with an ever growing demand, everyone treats each other more as friends rather than as competition. Everyone is always there to help one another, in case of any issues, be it at the Brewery or at the Local Excise office. It’s the unity of this industry which has helped in getting many reforms from the Government. If we talk about Maharashtra specifically, it got us permission for Growlers.

With the launch of this all new beer, Brew Whale will let one choose yet another interesting pour with a classic style!

Brew Whale loves working with new and uncommon ingredients and is known for its disruptive ideas and constant innovation in the craft beer market. Also look out for their Moby Wit – Belgian Witbier, Bowhead Stout – Coffee Stout, Killer Ale – American IPA, Harbour The Lager- American Dark Lager, Blonde By The Beach- Blonde Ale, Isle of Citra – Citra Wheat Ale, Captain Dunkel – Dunkelweizen.

Keeping up with their love for experimentation, Brew Whale introduces a limited edition brew every season, which they make in small batches and are released under their ‘Endangered Searies’.

Order growlers of their classic styles online at their website

The post Brew Whale Turns Two And Introduces A Limited Edition Brew first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

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Barley is malted via three steps – steeping, germination and kilning. It is kilned by slowly raising the temperatures to halt sprouting. Speciality malts are kilned at higher temperatures for a longer period of time by circulating hot air. Smoked Malt on the other hand is set above an open fire of dried wood, usually a beechwood in this case. Smoke rises from the burning lumber and permeates the barley husks and gives the malt its signature smoky flavour.

Prior to the modern era, drying malted barley in direct sunlight was used in addition to drying over flames. Even though kiln drying of the malt, using indirect heat, did not enter into widespread usage until the industrial era, the method was known as early as the first century BC.

Even though Rauchbiers aren’t that common nowadays, the city of Bamberg, Germany located in Central Deutschland is known as the world capital of Rauchbier brewing. Two brewpubs in Bamberg, Germany, Schlenkerla, and Spezial, have continued this smoked beer production for more than a century.

Any beer style can be referred to as a “Rauchbier“, as long as they have smoked malts.

Other German beer styles such as Dunkes Bock, Helles, Weissbier can be smoked as well but the intensity of smoke character can widely vary. Brewers can (and do) make smoked Helles, Porters, and IPAs, as well as some sour ales. However, Rauchbier is a copper-coloured lager with a base style of Märzen and the intensity of the smoked malt varies by the maltster.

Grodziskie or Grätzer are similar, traditional smoked beers from Poland, but made from wheat and highly carbonated, and with a perhaps older history, although it saw a period of no production in the late 1990s.

Vital Stats of a Classic Rauchbier

• ABV: 4.8 – 6%

• Bitterness: 20 – 30 IBU

• Colour: 12 – 22 SRM

Glassware

Generally, it doesn’t have any specific glassware but it is often served in a Willibecher.

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The Bier Library is located in the core of Koramangala, Bengaluru. It is truly a paradise for all things beer. Set up as a gigantic open space along with two spacious floors sweeping across 20,000 sq. ft, the brewery sets up a relaxed atmosphere at any time of the day. To add to the glory, water bodies like Koi Pond are laid out right at the centre which promises panoramic views from every corner of the lush microbrewery.

The Bier Library is a place where you can find the community and engagement with a diverse group of people brought together by a common passion for beer. Just like you walk into a library and pick up a book, The Bier Library is a casual setting where you walk in and pick up a pint from their array of beers and start sipping on a cold one. The Bier Library always has something in store for everyone. A vibrant selection of beers lined-up and crafted with exotic ingredients to please every palate.

The Bier Library is only into its third year and up until now, they have brewed a staggering 2 Lakh litres of beer. With their tap line-up being so diverse, it is no wonder that they have managed to craft about 36 beer styles since their inception. Apart from this, The Bier Library’s founders have a grand vision for the future to add more complex beers and do more collaborations across the globe.

Collab Brews

The Bier Library is one of the first microbreweries to introduce cross brewery collaborations in the beer capital of India. To kick things off, The Bier Library’s first ever collaboration was with the Yellow Submarine’s crew where they had brewed Guava Belgian Witbier.

Post this successful collaboration, The Bier Library has ventured out even further down under to partner with GooRoo brewing from Australia. This was one of a kind international collaboration brew which took everyone by surprise. As a result of this stellar alliance, GooRoo AIPA was born. It was a rare experiment where the crew had come up with a distinctive beer style named Australian Indian Pale Ale. AIPA was a true Aussie-style bash loaded with Australian hops and it went down like an absolute treat!

Experimental Series

Experimental brewing is at the heart of The Bier Library’s core principles. It is a risk they are willing to take and so far, it has turned out to be a massive success for the lush microbrewery. Some of the most eccentric beers ever brewed were Australian Indian Pale Ale, India Pale Lager, Double IPA, Milkshake IPA, HBC 472 Pale Ale, Belgian Dubbel, Iced Tea Lager and India Red Ale.

Every beer has a great story behind it. Likewise, experimental beers at The Bier Library are always brewed with an intent behind it. Trying out a new hop variety to understand its unique character or playing around with malt or yeast strains to study complexity are just one of the few things that the microbrewery does. Due to the heavy footfall of hopheads, The Bier Library’s signature Double IPA remains the most loved and popular beer style.

The Bier Library Experience

The beer drinking experience for any consumer begins with a set of samplers. These samplers are eventually followed by the pint glasses. To make sure the indulgence is exhilarating, The Bier Library has sourced most of the beer glassware straight from Germany.

In addition to this, staff training at The Bier Library is of utmost priority. They go above and beyond by training every staff member about all of their beer styles.

The Bier Library is a reflection of irrepressible spirit that is ingrained into their DNA and that’s what makes the microbrewery stand apart from the rest.

The post Bold, Beautiful and Delicious: The Bier Library Is Raising The Bar For Experimental Beers And How! first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post Bold, Beautiful and Delicious: The Bier Library Is Raising The Bar For Experimental Beers And How! appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

Although it is much easier to drink straight from the bottle or a can, you really are not doing any justice to beer or your taste buds. It is always recommended to use a proper beer glassware to appreciate the beer style even more. There’s a reason why particular styles of beer are traditionally served in specific types of beer glasses.

Different glasses bring out and highlight different flavours in a beer. If you’re shelling out big bucks on a good craft beer, you may want to enjoy it to its full potential. Using proper glassware shows people that you care about the service and experience. Glassware isn’t just for picking up enticing aromas, they’re also designed for your taste buds.

Out of all the other serving factors, temperature matters the most. Drinking beer at a recommended temperature elevates the overall drinking experience. Typically, Lagers should ideally be served at temperatures ranging from 4-6°C and Ales around 8-12°C. So what kind of beer goes with which glass you ask?

Read more to know all about it. Our friends at AltVibes have the answers.

IPA Glass

Spiegelau IPA glass was introduced in the year 2013. It’s a piece of craftsmanship which was designed and developed in collaboration with two major IPA players in the United States, Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head and Ken Grossman of Sierra Nevada.

The IPA glass has a unique design and character to it. It is specifically designed to release complex and volatile aromas that a beer style like an IPA naturally has. This iconic product was possible through a series of design and tasting sessions, in which hundreds of possible designs were considered.

Craft Pils Glass

This is a special glass which was developed to elevate the pilsner beer experience. The glass experts from Spiegelau joined forces with experts from Trumer Privatbrauerei, Austria to come up with a design.

The Craft Pils glass is custom designed to accentuate the aromatic structure of pilsner beers by releasing the delicate noble hop aroma. It lends an ideal balance between bitterness and residual sweetness to deliver pure refreshment.

Stout Glass

After the successful launch of IPA glass, Spiegelau had collaborated with Left Hand Brewing Company from Colorado and Rogue Ales from Oregon to craft the ultimate glassware for enjoying Stouts. Spiegelau Stout glass is designed in such a way that it accentuates roasted malt character along with rich dark chocolate and coffee notes.

After several months of testing, this glass was ultimately launched in the year 2014. It is a product of pure craftsmanship. Every aspect of the design helps elevate the beer drinking experience.

Barrel Aged Glass

Barrel aged beer represents the heightened enthusiasm of a brewer. When it comes to the aroma, flavour, taste and mouthfeel of these specialty beers, long-term wood ageing gives beer the most complex character possible. Spiegelau’s Barrel Aged Glass is exclusively designed for a beer connoisseur to admire the speciality beers.

Launched in 2016, Barrel aged glass is a collaboration effort by the brew masters of four of the world’s great producers of Barrel Aged Beer.

American Wheat Beer Glass

A unique drinking vessel specially developed by Bell’s Brewery in Michigan focused on hoppy American wheat beers. This new glass provides the ultimate wheat beer drinking experience, enhancing the delicate floral and fruity aromas of this style. It also accentuates the optimal taste, aroma and mouthfeel of an American wheat beer.

Hefeweizen Glass

The design of this tall glass accentuates the aromas and flavours that are naturally found in Weissbiers. With its large size, Hefeweizen glass is designed to hold volume and showcase a creamy/fluffy head. This glassware ideal of Bavarian style wheat beers.

Pilsner Glass

Pilsner glass exhibits a sleek and slender design which elevates the pronounced hop aroma that a classic Pilsner has. Wider opening of this glass can easily accommodate and display the tall head. This glassware is most suitable for beers such as Bohemian and German style Pilsners.

Among the others, cleanliness of a beer glass is just as important, if not more than the shape. Residual detergent, grease and other dust particles can kill the head formation of a beer. Thus ruining the appearance and aroma.

In the end, the best glass to drink beer out of, is ultimately your favourite one. No matter its shape or size, it may be the one you like to hold, look at and admire your beer. And we think, if you’re served a beer out of the proper glassware, that surely means you’re at a proper beer bar or a brewery. We highly recommend you do the same justice at home.

AltVibes

AltVibes is a socially-driven eCommerce platform which offers a wide range of products including beer glassware. As a brand, they also educate customers about the price, quality and the importance of a beer glass. By setting a benchmark in quality, AltVibes curates the most celebrated global brands, including Spiegelau, Nachtmann, Paşabahçe among others. What sprouted as a passion for glassware has turned into an ambitious brand anecdote.

AltVibes sell beer glassware via their website (https://altvibes.com)  They have a wide range of glassware collections from industry leading global brands. Also, be sure to check them out on Instagram @altvibesonly for more information.

The post The Significance Of Beer Glassware first appeared on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.

The post The Significance Of Beer Glassware appeared first on Brewer World-Everything about beer is here.