Russian River Blind Pig
Zack Adams, founder, Fox Farm in Salem, Connecticut
“I don’t think I’ve passed on Blind Pig on tap once in 15 years. That said, being in the Northeast, I’ve probably averaged just a couple of pints a year in that time. It’s made for a fun vantage point for checking in on an all-time favorite—each time revisiting and remembering why the beer is so special, and occasionally being delighted by the subtle and elegant tweaks.”
Alvarado Street Mai Tai P.A.
Jacob Passey, director of brewing, Pinthouse in Austin
“This contemporary West Coast IPA embraces and expresses tropical notes not historically found in the style. I first tried it a few years ago, and it’s a flavor and aroma profile that we’ve been chasing through the evolution of our IPAs ever since. The sheer drinkability is amazing and creates a repeatable IPA drinking experience that keeps me coming back for more.”
Maine Beer Another One
Patrick Chavanelle, senior R&D brewer, Allagash in Portland, Maine
“It’s one of those beers that you really don’t have to think about too much when you’re drinking it. It’s so well-balanced. It’s bitter in just the right amount, to where it dries the beer out to some extent and makes you want to take another sip. It has everything you’d expect from a hop-forward beer—it has tropical notes, citrus notes, it has some pine character. To me, it’s a beer you could geek out on and get into, or don’t think about it all and just enjoy drinking a killer beer.”
North Park Hop Fu!
Daniel Hartmann, head brewer, Alvarado Street in Salinas and Monterey, California
“There’s a sticky oiliness where you crack the beer and can smell it from a mile away. I love it. It’s challenging to go from rubbing hops to understanding how they are in a beer, but they have it dialed. Their approach to Mosaic is different from ours—they go for more blueberry and diesel, and we use more tropical Mosaic. But it’s one of those beers where, when you drink it, you think, ‘I don’t know how they pulled this off.’”
Pinthouse Training Bines
Andrew Bell, director of brewing, Radiant Beer in Anaheim, California
“There are many great IPAs I could choose from, but one of the most memorable is a beer I only get to have a couple of times per year. Pinthouse’s team makes awesome hoppy beer, and I’ve had Training Bines on draft and at festivals in the past, but the first time I opened a can, I could smell it at arm’s length. It’s incredibly aromatic and a masterful use of the Simcoe, Citra, and Mosaic trio, with balanced bitterness and intense hop aroma and saturation.”