ShopRite Wines & Spirits Micro-Brew Edition

THIS PERFECT TEN IS A HOP HEAD TURNER

From the Brewer – “A luscious beauty, Hop Head Red® Double IPA exudes resinous hoppy qualities from Amarillo, Warrior and Nugget to overtake the full-bodied depths of a caramel malt base. Captivating and seductive floral aromas and alluring hop flavors are the result of dry hopping with mountains of Amarillo. The blissful union of Double India Pale and Red Ale make Hop Head Red an unforgettable obsession. Experience love at first sip. Every time.”

Awards:

Bronze, Great American Beer Festival – American Red Ale, 2009

Hop Bitterness (IBU’s): 70
Alcohol by volume: 8.1%
Format: 6 packs
Seasonality: Year Round

A hop-forward fix for the first days of fall

From the Brewer – “Just when it feels like the dog days will never end, suddenly, the switch is flipped, the air gets cooler and it’s clear that autumn is on the way. Featuring a ruby-red hue and abundant tropical fruit and citrus hop flavors, Flipside Red IPA is the perfect beer for the final flash of summer.”

Experimental Hops

Hop farmers, breeders, brewers and brokers are always looking for new and interesting hop varietals with compelling flavor characteristics and intriguing properties. Sierra Nevada has a unique relationship with hop growers and often has access to limited and experimental varieties. Some of the varietals, while interesting, don’t add enough value and never make it into commercial production, while others—like the recent hop Citra—take the brewing world by storm. Every day new varietals are being tested and some have become signature flavors for Sierra Nevada.

Great with Asian spiced dishes, Steak fajitas or cheeses like Port-Salut or other lightly tangy cheese.

Hops: Magnum, Citra, Simcoe, Centennial
Malts: Two-row Pale, Wheat, Caramel, Chocolate
Yeast: Lager Yeast
Original Gravity: 14° Plato
Hop Bitterness (IBU’s): 60
Alcohol by volume: 6.2%
Format: 6 Packs
Seasonality: Fall

From the Brewer – “The name CascaZilla (Cas-kuh-zil-uh) is a play on both the name of a gorge in Ithaca called Cascadilla and the monster amounts of Cascade Hops we use to make the beer. The predominant flavor and aroma of this beer comes from fresh American hops. CascaZilla gets its distinctive red color from a healthy portion of caramel malt, which also lends to the beer, a hearty body and sweetness. It is a hoppy red ale!”

Accentuates spicy stews or barbecued meat. Also great with strong cheeses like Danish Blue or Gruyere.

Awards

Great American Beer Festival Silver Medal – American Style Amber/Red – 2008

Hops: Cascade, Chinook, Amarillo
Malts: 2-Row Pale, Crystal, Chocolate
Alcohol by volume: 7%
Format: 6 Packs
Seasonality: Year Round

From the Brewer – “Our Red IPA is a twist on a traditional west coast IPA featuring a deep red color from European dark caramel malts. We brew with generous amounts of American hops including Calypso, Palisade and Chinook to give this IPA a distinctive hop aroma. You’ll notice a strong hoppy flavor with caramel malt undertones and a unique color that gives this IPA a whole new personality!”

Great when served with Pad Thai, curry dishes, spiced rice pudding, blue cheeses.

Hops: US Calypso, Palisade, Chinook, Delta
Malts: US 2-Row, UK Dark Crystal Malt, Dutch Munich Malt
Hop Bitterness (IBU’s): 63
Original Gravity: 14º Plato
Alcohol by volume: 6%
Format: 6 Packs
Seasonality: Limited (brewed once)