Two well-known brewers made a clear New England IPA. Here’s how it tastes.
Much of craft beer these days can seem like an inside joke.
And so there’s some winking and nodding going on when Framingham’s Springdale Beer and Kentucky’s Against the Grain Brewery collaborate on the release of Any IPA, an India Pale Ale that’s nearly as see-through as water and makes light of the cloudy IPA haze craze.
“This was a truly unique concept that challenged both breweries to execute a nearly impossible feat,’’ says Jack Hendler, Springdale’s co-owner.
The idea for a clear IPA came during discussions at the Great American Beer Festival last fall. Springdale and Against the Grain brewers collaborated in Louisville before brewing the final product in Massachusetts. The breweries say the beer is meant to challenge the notion that hoppy beer needs to be opaque, and is a reminder that the style — which is the primary driver of long lines at breweries nationwide — doesn’t need to be taken too seriously.
I cracked a can of Any IPA this week and found several things to be true: It really does pour mostly clear, appearing effervescent — like an eggshell white tinged-seltzer — in the glass. You can smell some cloudy IPAs from across the room, but I had to sniff a little harder to get Any IPA’s nose, which was mostly pine. The beer tastes like grapefruit pith, orange zest, and more evergreen, and while enjoyable I found the initial aroma lacking and the finish a little thin. I’m not a brewer, so I don’t know if haze really does contribute to the flavor of my favorite IPAs, but I found myself missing those little floaties, anyway.
Jack’s Abby’s beer hall and the Springdale Barrel room are currently selling Any IPA on tap. It is also available in distribution throughout Massachusetts and New York, for a limited time.
