Meet the Cold Brew IPA

Summer is the time to experiment with cold drinks, and we have been busy trying something new with our cold brew this summer: the Cold Brew IPA.  

For those of you who know beer, you know IPA stands for India Pale Ale, and that it is a style of beer whose flavor profile marked by citrus, floral and bitterness that comes from adding hops to the ale as it brews.    

We wondered if adding hops to cold brew would do the same, so, we gave it a go and we're pretty pleased with the results. 

First we needed to find a coffee for this experiment, one that would pair well with floral, citrusy hops.  We had a hunch that finding a coffee that was already in line with the flavor profile of the hops was the way to go.  That is how we landed on the Kenya Mukui Peaberry.  

In fact, while this coffee is very nice brewed hot, we actually sourced it more for how we believed it's flavor attributes would translate into the cold brew IPA experiment.  

We experimented with two different hops - Cascade and Citron - and found that the Cascade hops paired better with the coffee.  It added more floral notes than the Citron, but did not overpower the flavor with citrus like the Citron did.  

In the brewing, we tried several different methods and landed on dry hopping the cold brew, which means we add the whole kernel hops to the grounds while they steep in the cold water.  

The end result is a brew that has viscous body, a good balance of citrus and floral, and just enough bitterness in there to give it the kind of upfront "kick" you expect in an IPA.  

We invite you to stop by our shop and try this little experiment of ours, or pick up a growler for home consumption.  We can also bring growlers out to the farmers markets.  

Cost is $10 for the cold brew and $5 for the glass growler (one time charge).  If you want to order one for a market, write back a few days before the market and let us know!