Hip Hop, ya don't stop!
You gotta love the hops—those flowery cones sent directly from the beer gods which naturally preserve beer, give it that piney, citrusy, earthy smell and simply bitters against the sweetness of malt. Well, India Pale Ales or better yet IPAs, are the extreme of all of those attributes: the most bitter, fragrant and in my opinion, most fun, of them all! With that being the case, today is IPA Day which means you need to get out, let your mind run free and prepare those taste buds based especially in the back of the tongue for some IPA sippin’ at your favorite brew spot.
Here is one of the best IPAs in the biz to the left, Ithaca Beer Co.'s Flower Power. Since you can't get it here in Atlanta, I posted it to avoid local favoritism. Plus, I was born in Ithaca so hey, it's all love!
What I will do is name a few spots you might want to consider getting your sip on when it comes to what the U.S. considers real “bitters.” I will see you at SweetWater Brewery in case you go there. I am heading that way at 5:30 for what they have in store regarding all of their IPA variations as well peep the expansion of their brewery in progress. After that, it’s Atkins Park for their BBQ Beer Dinner with Terrapin and Schmaltz Breweries collaborating at 7 here! I am not sure if there are still seats left so call and find out!
Happy IPA Day, homies!!!
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Brew Spots to celebrate IPA Day in Atlanta:
Molly of The Porter in Lil’ Five Points says:
“On July 4th we celebrated the pursuit of happiness; August 4th is all about the pursuit of hoppiness! There'll be lots of hoppy treats on tap, and at 6pm we'll tap a special firkin from Stone Brewing. Be there!"
Chris T., the brewmaster at The Wrecking Bar, says:
“Folks, it is International IPA Day! Though I have never heard of this holiday before, I like the idea a lot! In honor of this joyous occasion, The Wrecking Bar will be pouring a cask of our King Louie IPA-dry hopped in the cask, of course. We will also be pouring a Belgianized version of The Victor IPA, pushed thru a Randall stuffed full of the wonderful Centennial leaf hops that arrived on our doorstep just today. We will also have the following on draft: Golden Nelson Ale, Belgina Wit, Jemmy Stout, WB Abbey Dubbel."
SweetWater Brewery says:
“We will be celebrating at the brewery from 5:30 - 7:30 pulling the IPA stash out and tasting some really special, one-of-a-kind treats, all while sharing our love for this fantastic style of beer we will be pouring on draft."
By the way, go to www.RateBeer.com which has a full listing on events happening around Atlanta, the Southeast and the globe!
Happy...I mean Hoppy Sippin’!
Ale