IPAs were just about extinct when the craft brewing movement started in the 80s. Some of us were looking for something above pedestrian, forcing us to drink European lagers such as Heineken or Beck’s. Our friends thought we were weird doing THAT, while they sucked down Buds.

Fritz Maytag rescued Anchor Brewing Company in San Fran, and soon enough Anchor Liberty Ale made its way to Ohio.

Then the start-up Sierra Nevada knocked on Ohio’s door. Their Pale Ale had sediment in the bottom of the bottle. Bottle conditioned beer... hmm... something’s happening here. What it is ain’t exactly clear.

Fast forward, and we’ve got Stone. Russian River. Port Brewing. Lagunitas. Bear Republic. Green Flash.

We wanted a piece of that. Enter Left Coast Indie Pale Ale, for the independent spirit that lives in all of us.


(Left Coast) Indie Pale Ale

Style Guidelines: West Coast style IPA

Rotation Schedule: once a year in the Spring

Food Pairings:This IPA will stand up to rich, spicy flavored foods--Buffalo wings; Mexican enchilladas; Gates of Hell sauce. Zesty smoked ribs; a pile of sliced brisket; blacked tuna. The citrus and pine forest that is the hops will cut through these foods like a lumberjack. If you’re a hophead, this is for you, but... ‘ya gotta eat too.

Body: medium
Color: copper

Grain: British pale and Carapils

Bittering Hops: American Simcoe and Columbus
Finishing Hops: American Cascade, Columbus and Simcoe
Dry Hops: American Cascade, Columbus and Simcoe

Original Gravity: 1.074
IBUs (estimate): 93.8
Alcohol By Volume: 7.4%

First Tapped: previewed on the firkin April 22, 2011