When (h)opportunity knocks

As a hop-loving former-East-Coastian now-Seattleite, my bi-coastal proclivities occasionally pop up in the most interesting ways ‒ and notably, often when it comes to hoppy, delicious beer.

If you judged me by my beer tastes alone, you'd assume I was born into a mossy, water-logged PNW family who enjoyed hop-infused vitamins at breakfast. I'm a one-trick IPA pony with, quite literally, just one one-liner at the bar: "What's your hoppiest beer on tap?"

Yet if you judged me by ambulatory speed and/or competitiveness surrounding fairly nonsensical things (e.g., being among the first in line for Pliny the Younger; waking up at 4:30 am PST to partake in a random drawing for 40 quid "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" tickets), you'd see my East Coast origins as clear as a beer-water Bud Light.

So what happens when a surprise off-night is upon me ‒ and my two (now) favorite fresh hop beers are available for purchase?!?!

HOP-DOWN. YO.

That's right. Fremont Brewing just released its Field to Ferment Citra Fresh Hop Pale Ale yesterday (September 28), and HOLY MOLY ‒ it's amazing. I may or may not have a text from J requesting a purchase of a second pint, quote "IT WAS TOO DELICIOUS."

But then ‒ drum roll ‒ there's Reuben's Brews' Amarillo Fresh Hop Pale Ale (released on September 26), and that's topped my fresh hop list ever since I learned that fresh hops were a thing (circa two-to-three years ago). My dad ‒ an arguable IPA aficionado (I constantly thank whatever DNA sequencing gave me my dad's appreciation of bitter, hoppy beer) ‒ still raves about the Amarillo Fresh Hop I brought to upstate NY for him.

So ‒ the hop-down.

To do this right and proper, you'd ideally concoct some kind of blind taste-testing, perhaps conduct a good palate-cleansing in between tastes. Usually one would need an additional participant for said blind taste-testing, preferentially someone who knew which brew went where and then could say "Ta DA, you liked THIS one the best!" upon your report of the most beloved sample.

As a single person in residence without roommates, it's not as immediately easy (or scientifically robust) to host an impromptu taste-test/hop-down for...one's self. Can you really create the (h)optimal experimental conditions worthy of such two great beers?

Yes. Or at least a second-rate experiment of sorts.

Solution: pour a bit of each beer into a pint glass previously stored in freezer. Note which fresh-hop goes with each glass (for some reason, I immediately associated Woodchuck Cider/Vermont with Reuben's), close one's eyes, and then switch around the two pint glasses until you really can't recall which one could be on each side. Take a small sip of each without seeking a peek (however tempting that might be), and repeat. And the winner is...

...Citra Citra Citra. Fremont Fremont Fremont. 

After swearing by the Amarillo for so long (aka a year, perhaps two to three ‒ what still seems like a long time, oy), I will posit, for better or worse, I selected Fremont's Fresh Hop Citra Pale Ale as my preferred brew in the Hop-Down 2016 ultimate fight...to the...delicious beer of the evening.

 And that, my friends, is what you do when (h)opportunity knocks.

Cheers,
N

Hoppy (fresh hop) fall!

For better or for worse, my beer tasting and consumption has been much more consistent (and ok, fine, plentiful) than my upkeep of this blog in 2016. Truly, I've meant to update it every once and awhile (eg, "Ohhhh, this Skookum Billing Waves IPA is sooooo good - I really should write about it the beer blog" "Hotline Bling? Can Cloudburst do any wrong?"), but inevitably, something else would distract me ("What - a GSP puppy - WHERE?!") and/or usurp my occasional bouts of free time (it might rhyme with Smogal Durban of Gisease).

I may or may not have run after this adorable GSP puppy on Cannon Beach.

Three things have prompted the return of the beer blog:

(1) The pace at work has slowed down for a few beats.

(2) Our new Director of Research Management asked me about my beer blog on his first day.

(3) It's FRESH HOP SEASON, the most wonderful time of the year in the PNW.

Yes, I've pre-ordered 12 bottles of Reuben's Amarillo Fresh Hop Pale Ale, my most favorite of Seattle-based fresh hops to date. I'd like to hit up the Latona Pub's Fresh Hop Festival on Thursday (and then of course the Pine Box and Brouwer's respective fresh hop events in early October). Fresh hoppity-hop-hops - oh how I love thee.

So what exactly is fresh hop beer? Outside of the PNW, it's not a term that one frequently encounters - I certainly didn't know about it until I moved to Seattle. I'm sure there's a much more technical definition of "fresh hop beer" that the true gurus of brew would give you - I will never claim such knowledge or expertise - but in sum, what makes a "fresh hop" beer fresh and hoppilicious is that a bunch of hops picked directly from the vine are used in the brewing process without additional drying or processing. Apparently there's a "24-hour rule" for fresh hops, such that the "fresh hop" title only should bestowed upon an ale if the hops used have spent less than 24 hours off the hop vine. Apparently fresh hops can be a bit wild and unwieldy for brewers (a Washington Beer blog article I read is super helpful in describing some of the challenges associate with fresh hops), but if done right, you get this amazingly delightful, bursting-with-flavor, and yes - FRESH - beer that makes your tastebuds want to do a hoppy dance. 

Fremont Brewing, one of my all-time favorite breweries, has introduced a really cool program this year, Field to Ferment. I've thoroughly enjoyed comparing the differences between the Centennial and Simcoe fresh hops thus far, and I look forward to sampling the Citra and Mosaic (though I fear I've missed the Citra this week). Amarillo remains my favorite hop (I think), but who knows what this fresh hop season will bring...

Cheers,

N

Hoppy National Beer Day! Plus the Ultimate IPA Showdown.

You know you're considered a beer lover when your mother, who decidedly isn't much of a hop fiend, sends you an email titled "It's National Beer Day!"

So Happy National Beer Day, the day when beer could be legally sold again in 1933 after 13-odd years of Prohibition. Now if that's not worth celebrating, I don't know what is.

To honor the folks who couldn't openly enjoy their favorite brewskis for longer than I've been drinking (yes, do that math), I'm going to share the results from The Ultimate IPA Showdown.

The ultimate? Yes, we went there - and well, I think it's pretty apt.

Pliny v. Heady v. Brother. I've been dreaming of this hoptastic showdown for the last few years. But it's tough to come by, especially when you're faced with some serious acquisition challenges: Fremont's the Brother is only produced seasonally; Russian River's Pliny the Elder is increasingly challenging to get as its distribution continues to shrink; and well, living anywhere outside of Vermont makes retrieving a can of The Alchemist's famed Heady Topper an odyssey in its on right. But somehow the beer deities helped the hop cosmos to align, and by the end of February, I had at least one can or bottle of each.

The Ultimate IPA Showdown was hosted at J's house, where we received tasters labeled 1, 2, and 3 so we could blindly sample each of these epic IPAs (J's sister, R, kindly offered to be mad scientist unblinded to our shenanigans). R poured and set the tasters in front of us, eager beer lovers brimming with the kind of simultaneous excitement and anxiety a child might have upon trying Pop Rocks for the first time.

We tasted, we swilled, we tasted again. Each of us had our biases - for instance, J and I are huge Brother fans - and despite the beer-blinding, we were convinced that our palates, honed over dozens and dozens of trips to Fremont Brewing's UBG (Urban Beer Garden, for those of you not in the know), could suss out our perceived favorite.

But alas, science, as it often does, prevailed. Heady Topper emerged as the top hop, even though my can of the IPA gold was nearing three months old. Pliny snagged second, followed by our beloved Brother.

J and I sat crestfallen, as if our 30-something joys in life had just - poof - disappeared. O Brother, where art thou, with your citrus-y punch and "about a billion IBUs"? No offense to the other victors, but we just couldn't believe it.

Luckily, I had brought two cans of the Brother over to J's, and being my researcher-self, I popped open the second and compared that one with the Brother used in the showdown. They were totally different - the showdown Brother was skunked! Alas, we actually hadn't wrecked our palates over too many IPAs - the Brother was back! Yahoo!

But wait. We didn't have any more Heady. And the whole blind tasting thing couldn't be resurrected, or at least not that night. Another showdown would be necessary, to truly answer the age-old question of which IPA was the fairest of them all...

...and the saga will continue. And until that happens, enjoy your favorite IPA (coughBrothercough) and Hoppy National Beer Day!

Cheers!
N

Return of the Hops

(From last weekend)
A: Remember when you had that beer blog?
N: Yeah, I remember that. That was fun.
A: Why did you stop?
N: Well, there was no reason really. I guess I should do it again.

And here we go.

So what's happened beer-wise in the last 10 months (or since I last penned a beer blog post in April 2014)? Well, to start: I celebrated my 30th birthday in Bend, OR, which was arguably the best place I could possibly celebrate anything given its status of a beer-plus-outdoors mecca.

Favorites from that adventure included Crux Fermentation Project's Outcast IPA, GoodLife Brewing's Descender IPA, and Boneyard's Notorious Triple IPA. Bravehorse Tavern recently had Notorious on tap, making it the most recent Bend beer I've had in awhile. At a 12% ABV and an estimated 90 IBUs, the Notorious lives up to its name in stats - but not necessarily in crazed intensity. Boneyard's 3x brewski joins the ranks of a precious few triple IPAs (and their brewers) that can blend high hops, ABV, and drinkability without dropping into the brandywine abysss of doom (or at least according to my one-trick-wonder-IPA palate). This is a distinction reserved for only the hoptastic crème de la crème, such as Reuben's Brews (Blimey that's Bitter [10.5% ABV; ~80 IBUs]), Georgetown (Kick Ass Blaster [11.4% ABV; unknown IBUs), and this year's Hop Mob hero (and total darkhorse, according to some of Seattle's beer scene insiders), Snipes Mountain Brewing with Hayduke the Wrencher (9.3% ABV; 97 IBUs).

Oops, be kind and rewind to August 7: IPA Day! I had the distinct pleasure of celebrating this glorious event at Reuben's Brews, which offered a fairly fantastic IPA sampler in honor of this high holy day of hops. I took advantage of Reuben's IPA sampler, through which I got to experience the wonderment of crisp, delightful Crikey IPA (6.8% ABV; 53 IBUs). I completely agree with this untappd review: "Tastes way bigger than the ABV and IBUs suggest - grassy and piney with a background of tropical fruity flavours." Pine plus citrus plus refreshment = a major score in my hoppy book.

In October, I fully embraced Seattle's fresh hop season, ranging from the Pinebox's big fresh hop bash to the Noble Fir's daytime hoppy hour(s). For me, a decidedly amateur beer appreciator, fresh hops season offers the awesome opportunity to really delve into what types of hoppy flavors you - or in this case, I - prefer at a more in-your-face, hops-in-your-mouth level. So what did I learn? It turns out that I love Amarillo hops, which are largely responsible for the intensely citrus-y, grapefruit-imbibed IPAs I happen to adore. It also turns out that Reuben's Amarillo Fresh Hop Ale, one of the most amazing citrus-fresh-hop-bombs out there, makes me want to sing Ben Folds' "I Am the Luckiest" at the top of my lungs upon swilling this stellar brew.

Right before December, I made a beer advent calendar. Yes, that really happened. And Fremont Brewing's social media maven said "Oh my Holy Christmas Beer DIY Goddess...you win everything!" And then my life was made. 

Actually come December: oh boy, Hoppy Holidays to...me. Over. And over again.

(1) Maine beer fun with G & M, and my beloved dog niece R (yes, G "made" me drink my Baxter Stowaway IPA out of a straw. If I lived in Maine, I'd probably designate this IPA as a can go-to for every adventure.)

(2) An epic beer exchange with TM, East Coast v. West Coast IPAs (including Maine Beer Company's Lunch IPA [7% ABV; 88 IBUs] - an incredibly delectable, balanced, and crisp IPA. Me want more. Please.)

(3) An even more epic IPA showdown in upstate NY (spoiler: Fremont's Brother IPA won - a beer that's increasingly becoming my all-time favorite IPA)

(4) My dad managed to procure a 4-pack of The Alchemist's Heady Topper (!!!!!) for me through his work's gift grab-bag/White Elephant/Yankee Swap (which of course prompts all kinds of questions, like WHO GIVES AWAY HEADY TOPPER?????). This turned into a Christmas gift that truly kept on giving, as then I had the opportunity provide some of my favorite beer nuts out here in Seattle with their first HT experience.

So that's the rest of my 2014. Sort of. Not really. But did you really want more? That's what I thought.

Coming attractions: the amazing beer I had when the Seahawks tragically lost the Superbowl (the smallest of small, small, small silver linings); SF Beer Week, otherwise known as PlinyQuest 2015; and Tahoe's finest IPA (preview: it's from Stateline Brewery).

Cheers!
N

Spring forward - or hop forward?

Whoa. So, right. A few months have passed since I touched this thing. And wow, a lot has happened.

The Seahawks won the Superbowl. I went to Zambia and Uganda. I was selected as a back-up for watching over S when M has her baby in May. I started drafting a Modern Love column. Did I mention the Seahawks and the whole Superbowl thing?

And oh yes. The beer. There's been a lot of tasty beer enjoyed by this girl recently. Or not so recently, as the case may be.

Here's what I can briefly gather from my iPhone notes:

Enjoy By 2.14.14 and Enjoy By 4.20.14, Stone Brewery
(allegedly 9.4% ABV, 88 IBUs for each iteration)
More like enjoy by whenever you can get your hands on these brews. The 2.14.14 round got me through some long days at work, largely enjoyed at Fremont's The Sixgill. Here's how it'd go: work a minimum of 10 to 12 hours. Discover I had forgotten to eat enough or had had too much caffeine to easily sleep. Swing by The Sixgill at 9 pm for foodstuffs and a delectably tasty, complex, hoppy but balanced, Enjoy By. Go home, sleep a bit, repeat. One month later, Enjoy By 4.20.14 gets bottled and hits the Seattle shelves. After a rough week, I bought an overpriced bottle at PCC and brought it over to M and S's to watch an immensely high-brow television series that rhymes with the smachelor. Again, so tasty, so interesting to the palate, hoppy but balanced - way to Stone, way to go Enjoy By. I've never been more thankful for the next four weeks.

The Brother Imperial IPA, Fremont Brewing
(8.5% ABV, about a billion IBUs, more details here)
Oh brother - you've ruined every other beer for me. It's a bold move, I know, but this beer might just be my new favorite. Perhaps even ever. I thought The Sister was pretty spectacular, but well, like my little brother, this one just rocks my socks off. Thankfully, Fremont Brewing decided to have The Brother for awhile this late winter-to-early spring, as I've enjoyed it several times: (1) post-NFC championship game wherein the Seahawks emerged oh so victorious; (2) post-report finalization with A; (3) drinks with J; (4) drinks with M; (5) drinks by myself...ok, ok, ok, have I made my point clear? This is a truly awesome IPA, bold but somehow light(ish), hoppy and citrus-y, and...sir, may I have some more?

Topcutter IPA, Bale Breaker Brewing
(6.8% ABV, 70 IBU, more details here)
So this is fun: according to N (and The Sixgill), Bale Breaker Brewing has only recently started to distribute its hoppy wares in Seattle. The Moxee-based brewery (basically Yakima - oh my upstate NY accent is wonderfully showcased by saying Yaaaaaaakima) has made this fine IPA that has a lower alcohol content without sacrificing hop-tasticity. It tickles the palate with some kind of citrus-y goodness, and I imagine this brewski would a tasty one for the summer months. Bonus - it comes in cans! All the better to pack for kayak adventures - hurrah! Is it summer yet?

Alright, this makes sound like a happy-hoppy-hippy. Indeed, I have had some disappointing beers in the last few months. For instance, I really didn't like High Water Brewing's Hop Logic in January - I actually bought one of those 22 oz bottles at Bottleworks and promptly dumped it down the drain after my first sip. "Gross brandy-wineness, ugh" says my iPhone. And subsequently, I turned down High Water brews several times due to this unfortunate experience. Sorry guys, but my hop-discerning gullet is just not that into you.

Next up: reviews of Washington's Hob Mob Triple IPA Roadshow (courtesy of myself, M, and K). Sneak preview: Georgetown's Kiss Ass Blaster "is more like kick ass!" and Spinnaker Bay's Three Sheets to the Wind is "burnt, earthy, heavy - whatever. I stick my tongue out at it."

Cheers,
N

Unlike fruitcake, this is a beer that will not be regifted.

It's 2014. It's 2014?!?!?!

How did it become 2014 already? As in, almost 30 years ago, I was born. As in I was a little blob of skin and organs who didn't know anything. As in I didn't know my right hand from the left, whether I'd become the President or a plumber (I figure my current position is somewhere smack in the middle - maybe), what the wonderment of the Polar Bear Plunge could be (see right), whether I'd be married at 30 (ha), and if I liked beer, let alone hoppy beer.

Almost 30 years later (I'm going to emphasize almost here), it turns out that I usually can tell my right from left, I probably won't be the President or a plumber (again, I'm thinking my current job is a slightly better fit for my skill set), I loved the Polar Bear Plunge (again, see the photo), it's highly unlikely that I'll be married at 30 (and I'm very much ok with that), and I really like beer, especially (if not almost exclusively) hoppy beer. Hurrah!

So what's in store for 2014? Well, some pretty cool work projects are on the docket, which is always exciting and fun. I plan to do the Seattle to Portland (STP) Bicycle Classic, which yep, means I'll be bicycling from Seattle to Portland (totally classic, right?). I'm doing CityLeague ski racing again this year, and I hope I get in a lot of big snow days. And oh yes, my brother is getting MARRIED! AHH!

Amidst all this wonderment, I also plan to enjoy an assortment of hoppy beers, ideally with an assortment of hoptastic people. And on this fifth day of 2014, I'm happy to report that I've enjoyed the following hoptiful brews (in no particular order):

(1) Workhorse IPA, Laurelwood Public House & Brewery
(7.5% ABV, 80 IBUs, more stats here)
Guys, this one is good. It's got all the hops you'd want without being overwhelming, probably thanks to a nice strong citrus-y finish. It's not low on the alcohol content, but it tastes like a less intensive IPA - again, maybe it's the citrus joy that helps offset the decently high ABV. I'd be willing to say that the Workhorse would be quite splendid in the summer, but maybe that's because of the chilled pint glass I'm enjoying it in right now (thanks D for suggestion! Those Mainers know it all).

(2) Winter IPA, pFriem Family Brewers
(7.5% ABV, 65 IBUs, more stats here)
Ok, Ryan at The Sixgill strikes gold again. Thanks to the "Hoppy Winter Ale Progression" I enjoyed with J last Sunday, I got to discover pFriem's phenomenal brew (by the way, the p is not silent, as I learned). I'll admit, I'm not the biggest fan of winter ales - they just tend to be too heavy, too sweet, too un-hoppy. But "hop-forward winter seasonals" - and a Seahawks win? YES PLEASE! So of the three in this progression, I liked pFriem's brew far more than the others. J said "this is what I'd expect if I ordered an IPA." From my notes: "so tasty, very smooth, and then there's an explosion of wonderment as an aftertaste. Light citrus, something kind of woodsy - and oh, the Seahawks score. This beer is just about as amazing as the Seahawks mowing down the Rams at the end of the 1st quarter." So there you have it. Yay, yay, and to p-FREEAM!

Actually, I want to share Ryan's phenomenal write-up for this equally phenomenal beer: "Cozy up to the fire with a pint of pFriem's Winter Ale and gift your tastebuds with hints of spice, orange zest, caramel, and a touch of spruce tree. You may even sense the subtle notes of fruitcake, which might encourage you to share this winter ale with your family and friends. Rich bold flavors of hops and malt meld with a touch of orange zest and huckleberries. The finish leaves the mouth covered with a trace of caramel cut by an assertive hoppiness. Unlike fruitcake, this is a beer that will not be regifted." (clearly, Ryan knows much more about beer than I do - and is far wittier than I am).

(3) Merry Taj Winter IPA, The Lost Abbey
(8% ABV, IBUs unknown, more stats here)
Ok, this isn't a bad beer. Actually, it's not even close. But I must admit, after having the Merry Taj after pFriem's Winter IPA, I was hoping for something more. Something a little bit more boom boom pow HOPS than a jazzy smooth hey, there, here's a bit of hops, but here's some jazzzz. Here are my notes from last Sunday: "Hoppy but balanced. Definitely more  [than the pFriem] but not what makes you think of a winter ale. Not as hoppy as the previous one, but very flavorful and balanced. Nice slow finish, but not a kapow hop punch. Well crafted, but less flavorful as you drink it." It was still better than the Bifrost ("drinkable but not super flavorful"), and when A and I took to Ballard on Friday and visited The Sixgill's older brother (The Noble Fir), the Merry Taj really wasn't too bad. It just simply wasn't mind-blowingly good.

Other recent fun:
- A growler of Fremont's The Sister Imperial IPA!!!!!! Seriously guys, this is one of the best. Seriously. Get it while you can - and/or propose a special occasion for which we can pop open my growler.

- After going to WildLights with M, St, and Sa last night, St kindly offered me a bottle of Reuben's Brews Imperial Rye IPA. And why did St have this delightfully hoppy but balanced IPA? Because M's dad didn't want it during his visit! Mr. H, if you're reading this (which you might be and yes, I would love you to be a guest poster): next time you're here, you need to try this beer. Yes, it's got a high ABV, and for most beers and breweries, that would mean this brew would border on brandywine material. But Reuben's got it going on, and he knows how to balance an insanely hoppy (and high ABV) beer with...something. Yes, whatever something is, it's good and you can't leave Seattle again without trying it. Or at least, that's my whole-hearted recommendation. 

Cheers!
N

Sister Christian, oh the time has come

Oh. My.

This beer - The Sister Imperial IPA by Fremont Brewing - is the brew equivalent of a Night Ranger concert (plus Foreigner and Journey).* Translation = epic.

I had the great pleasure of my first Sister sampling on Friday night, as K and I met up with M and L at Fremont Brewery after work. The Sister had the delightful hops punch I love - apparently about a billion IBUs - without being heavy at all. There's been a lot of winter ales circulating around these parts, which is fine and dandy, but they're just not quite my jam. The Sister, however - oh my.

*This I've also sampled, one delightful October night in 2011 with MM. If I had to choose between that concert and The Sister Imperial IPA, well, I'd be facing one hell of a pickle.

Is there any chance that Fremont Brewery would fill up my growler with Sister - perhaps as a Christmas miracle? If you'd like, I can even leave out milk and cookies...and I can make some pretty fantastic cookies. What do you think?

Cheers,
N

Favorite "go-to" hoppy beers: the six-pack

Whether it's for personal consumption or a fridge of another, a solid six-pack of tasty-but-not-too-fancy-or-expensive hoppy beer is clutch. Key. Sick. Whatever the kids are calling it these days.

Some people (shudder) think all hoppy beers are the same. That they're just all bitter hopbombs without diversity or complexity. That they can only be enjoyed during certain seasons - that, alas, a hoppy beer is just too heavy for the summer months. That only scary lumberjack men with small woodland animals hibernating in their beards and large axes slung over their shoulders could ever  truly love a gnarly IPA...

 ...except they don't, they aren't, and they're not. One of the best ways to garner respect in this town (and others, so I hear) is to bring a decently thought-out, great-yet-relatively-inexpensive sixer along to social gatherings. Well, at least the people I socialize with - they seem to like that. Maybe it's because I'm closer to 30 now than 20. Perhaps it's because my 10 year college reunion is closer than the time I graduated. It definitely took me a little bit to figure out that hey-o, pseudo-adults like myself enjoy things that taste more like beer than water seasoned with beer.

Well, anyway, my people - and especially myself - like to have a solidly good IPA at a social gathering (or, let's be honest here, just hanging solo at my cozy apartment). And because of that, here's a non-exhaustive list of my top six* of six-pack beers:

(1) Inversion IPA, Deschutes Brewery 
(6.8% ABV, 80 IBUs, more stats here)
For some reason, there's something deliciously homey about the Inversion - even though I've never lived in Oregon, I've only visited Portland three times, and I only had my inaugural visit to Deschutes Brewery this past summer. Maybe its the beer's nice blend of bitter and something chocolate-y/coffee-y mixed with some kind of subtle citrus wonderment. Maybe it's the great memories enjoyed with people over a good Inversion or three (summers in Seattle, KL's bachelorette in Leavenworth, an elk burger (!) in Portland). Whatever it is, it's my current #1 go-to sixer - and I'm happy (or hoppy? HA) to say that I'm presently enjoying a bottle right now.

(2) Interurban IPA, Fremont Brewing
(6.2% ABV, 80 IBUs, more stats here)
Yes, I'm slightly biased by the fact that the Fremont Brewery is basically a 5 minute walk away. And that I love the brewery's set-up, especially for a nice post-work beer out in its "urban beer garden" during Seattle's nicer months. And did I mention that I own a growler? The Interurban is decidedly tasty, with enough hops to moderately appease a hop-monster like myself but balanced enough to make the beer widely accessible to more hop-hesitant masses. The biggest bonus: they come in cans! Which is crazy clutch for bringing along on kayak trips and the other water-based sports that Seattle supports so well. Because who doesn't like enjoying a cold one after paddling to a pristine Cascadia Marine Trail campsite?

(3) Lagunitas IPA, Lagunitas Brewing Co.
(6.2% ABV, 46 IBUs, more stats here)
Because if you don't have an Oregon, Washington, and California IPA in your top six (or three) go-to hoppy sixers, your street cred might be on the decline. But seriously, this coast knows how to make a solid, agreeable IPA for all the peeps - and the Lagunitas IPA fills that ballot oh so well. At one of my favorite old work places/watering holes in San Francisco, the Bean Bag Cafe, you could get this drink on tap for $3. For real. Also, I remember buying multiple sixers for our 2012 election watching party - what a thrilling night. In sum, it's a super solid sixer choice, especially if you're looking to subtly impress with your Cali beer know-how in the PNW.

(4) Ranger IPA, New Belgium Brewing
(6.5% ABV, 70 IBUs, more stats here)
Ranger Ranger Ranger...if there's ever been a beer that makes me think of Seattle, oddly enough, it's an IPA from Colorado. The Ranger IPA has been a mainstay for me ever since I moved out west in 2008, whether it was my work's uncanny ability to always stock it for happy hours or my ex-boyfriend's penchant for always keeping it in the fridge. It's a bit lighter than my other six-pack go-tos, which makes for a delightfully refreshing beverage during Seattle's splendid summers. And maybe the rest of the world thinks of it as more of a summer IPA too, because it was definitely on sale at QFC this evening (which was definitely cold enough to make my circulation-challenged toes numb).

(5) Evolutionary IPA, Two Beers Brewing Co.
(6.2% ABV, 48 IBUs, more stats here)
So I have a confession: I didn't know about Two Beers - or at least linking the brewery to its stellar brews - until quite recently. For instance, I couldn't remember it was Two Beers that made the most phenomenal triple IPA at the 2012 Seattle International Beer festival, well, until this evening. But then an old roommate's dad brought a Two Beers six-pack over for a patio hang when he was in town - and oh my, that was good. It was light and refreshing without sacrificing a nice melody of hops - mmm, mmm good. Again, it's one of those spectacular Seattle things wherein you can get the sixer in bottles or cans, allowing you to be the easy champion of the house party or a camping trip.

(6) Torpedo Extra IPA, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. 
 (7.2% ABV, 70 IBUs, more stats here)
Disclaimer: the only reason why the Torpedo ranks as #6 (and not higher) is because it's not as easily a "go-to" six-pack - not because it's not worthy of a higher taste ranking. Like most (all?) beers, it tastes better on tap, but like some beers, I think it tastes astronomically better on tap. I was introduced to the wonderment of Torpedo when I lived in San Francisco, specifically at the oh so spectacular Green Chile Kitchen in my old hood. After intense yoga sessions at night, I would frequent Green Chile for nachos and a freshly poured Torpedo - clearly, the recovery meal of champions. The Torpedo is intense and is only fully enjoyed, in my opinion, when you're really yearning for a wham-bam kind of hoppy beer. However, you're almost guaranteed to gain some props points if you bring this sixer to a gathering of hop fanatics.

* If, and most likely when, these rankings change, I'll try to remember to update. But it's really for my benefit as this blog is basically a virtual reminder system, blinking "heyyyyy, remember that awesome beer? You should totally bring that to M's gathering." If it helps you too - well, bully.

Cheers,
N