We’ve Got a Winner!
Brewing News’s 2010 National IPA Challenge is over, and a new champion has been crowned: HeadHunter IPA, brewed by Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon in North Olmstead (Cleveland area), Ohio.
National IPA Challenge: They’re Down to Four
Basketball’s Final Four is three weeks away, but the field is down to four in the National IPA Challenge: Islander IPA (Coronado Brewing, Coronado, CA) vs. Headhunter IPA (Fat Head’s Brewery & Saloon, North Olmstead, OH); and Good Karma (Mad Anthony Brewing, Ft. Wayne, IN) vs. Union Jack (Firestone Walker Brewing, Paso Robles, CA).
The national champion will be crowned this weekend at the Celebration of the Suds festival in Atlantic City.
The Friday Mash (Spring Training Edition)
“Pitchers and catchers report.” The most beautiful words in the English language.
And now, The Mash…
Ben Jacklet, a correspondent for Oregon Business, introduces us to Indie Hops, a Portland-based start-up that’s dedicated entirely to providing aroma hops to craft breweries.
Brewery Ommegang is looking for a theme for this year’s edition of Belgium Comes to Cooperstown. Themes for past events included AC/DC-BC/TC, Planet of the Ales, The Big Lebrewski, and Abby Road.
What does smoke beer remind you of? Stan Hieronymus explains why some people associate it with fish.
According to The Beer Philosopher, Old Style Beer has gone “old school”. The brewing process will incorporate kraeusening, a traditional process where a portion of still-fermenting beer–with active, live yeast intact–is added to pre-fermented beer at bottling to naturally carbonate the beer.
From the Bait and Switch Department: In an effort to cut costs, some bars in Amsterdam are substituting no-name beer for the brand-name beer they’re contractually required to pour. Which prompted snarky comments like, “did anyone notice a difference?”
Until recently, British pubs were rarely associated with good food. How times have changed. The London Times reports that ten British gastropubs have been awarded Michelin stars.
Round Two of the National IPA Challenge takes place Sunday in Buffalo. Last week’s competition in Syracuse pared the field to 64 IPAs. Is your favorite still in contention?
IPA Fans: Fill Out Your Brackets!
Basketball’s March Madness is weeks away, but first-round action in Brewing News’s third annual National IPA Challenge tips off a week from this evening in Syracuse, NY.
A total of 128 IPAs are entered in the Challenge, which is a single-elimination, head-to-head competition. Elimination rounds will take place at beer festivals in February and March, and the champion IPA will be crowned at the Festival of the Suds in Atlantic City on March 20.
You can follow the action with Brewing News’s huge printable bracket sheet, which also doubles as a shopping list if you’re an IPA fan like Paul.