Here in the mid-Atlantic you can throw a stick and hit an IPA in our region’s signature low-bitterness-high-fruit style. They’re delicious, for sure. But whatever happened to the old-school west coast IPA classic style? Is it gone forever? No way, at least not here at The Alementary!
We adore these beers with their grapefruit-forward hop aromas, sweet malt, and clean, precise bitterness. In many cases, they are the beers that god us all into craft beer. The were the original unobtainable cult beers! If you’ve been around craft beer for a while you’ll definitely remember the first time you scored a Pliny the Elder. Even today, this west coast pillar stands the test of time.
As a style, they’re a dream to drink, whether you’re looking for a return to where we all got started or exploring new and interesting ways to enjoy the hops.
Our West Coast-style Double IPA, Road Trip, is an all-American affair. Our starting point is select domestic 2-row barley from Idaho. A dash of 45L crystal malt completes the picture. We mash it low to get the dryness where we want and marry that with a firm, but manageable bitterness of 40 IBU (remember when we used to talk about that?). By East Coast standards, the dry-hop is a diminutive 2lbs per barrel, so we drive the aroma forward with our hand-selected Simcoe and Cascade hops.
So what makes Road Trip unique in 2022? Not a lot, unless you “just” appreciate premium ingredients and impeccable craftsmanship. If that’s you, then we’d suggest a taking Road Trip!