Special Release Highlight: Pool Zone

The sun is currently kicking ass and taking names, but luckily, our resident mages of fermentation have graciously blessed us with a new form of IPA wizardry that will provide a momentary reprieve from the effects of global warming. It’s a tall order, and while we love an IPA as much as--if not significantly more than--the next guy, sometimes a fully fledged, big bodied murk lord isn’t exactly what the doctor ordered. Enter: Pool Zone. We set out to concoct a singularly effervescent beverage that would provide a drinking experience akin to dipping that first toe into an infinity pool. Chasing the aforementioned high began with Golden Promise, an heirloom barley malt that provided a delightful, distinctive departure from our regular 2-row base. Then we tackled the aromatic part of this equation. In addition to Cascade hops, we selected Citra and Mosaic for the dry-hop, which imparted an immense tropicality to this beer, juxtaposed by that snappy bitterness you’d expect from a WCIPA. Then the twist; we delicately imbibed this majestic liquid with carbonated water, whose minerality not only emphasises the hop character and creates a sensational mouthfeel, it also brings everything down to a cool 3.2% ABV and 100 calories per can. The finished beer is light and bubbly, yet sturdily malty (thanks to that heirloom barley), with a tantalizing bouquet of pineapple, guava, and tangerine, a splendor of hops, and a palate-teasing saltiness that really ties the whole thing together. This delightfully spritzy elixir will be available in 12oz 6-packs in the upcoming online special release presale this Saturday. As always, we recommend staying in the loop by signing up for our email newsletter, which you can do by clicking that nifty envelope icon at the top of this page.