Maybe it’s easier to brew genre-busting styles in a state such as Florida where the average craft-beer fan has fewer expectations. In places with longer-standing brewing traditions, such as San Diego or Chicago, brewing a turbid IPA chock full of fruity hops notes could be seen by some as an affront. But Florida is still on the frontend of the craft-beer curve, and Civil Society has taken full advantage of that eager open-mindedness by focusing on flavor-forward beers with only the faintest nod to tradition. And while other Florida brewers have generated excitement by focusing on culinary flavors—sweet dessert stouts and fruit-forward tart weisse beers—Civil Society is all about the hops.
“We mold our beers around hops, for the most part,” says Cofounder and Head Brewer Karl Volstad. “Most of our lineup is hops-forward. We like to explore how hops work together, so we do a lot of series of beers where we’ll pair [different] hops together.”
Volstad got his start in beer as a trader, scouring shelves for the latest and greatest that he could trade for beers not available in South Florida. That engagement with craft beer and a love for styles not readily available led him next to homebrewing, where he could make the exact beer he wanted to drink.