Beer of the Week: New England-style IPA for total solar eclipse
Published 1:30 am Friday, August 18, 2017
Total Eclipse of the Wort
Lazy Boy Brewing, Everett
Style: New England-style IPA
Stats: 7.1 percent ABV, 65 IBU
Available: On tap at the brewery.
My thoughts: Lazy Boy Brewing owner and head brewer Shawn Loring isn’t afraid to have a little fun. So when he heard about all the commotion surrounding this summer’s solar eclipse cutting a swath through America, he had an idea: make a beer to honor the once-in-a-generation phenomenon.
The beer he came up with isn’t quite an out-of-this-world creation; everyone seems to be making New England-style IPAs nowadays. But the beer is made with some celestial-themed ingredients. Loring tracked down some Galaxy hops to dry hop the beer with, and also used a healthy amount of Orbit hops late in the boil.
The beer is a big fruity hop bomb. The flaked oats give it the complexion of orange juice and the hops give it a flavor that isn’t far from that, with the taste of passion fruit dominating.
The beer will be released today, and Loring’s hope is that folks will fill up a growler this weekend, crack it Monday morning and raise a glass as the sun and moon put on a show. Sure it’ll be a little early, but it’ll feel like night for a while.
One other fun fact: For inspiration while they brewed the beer last week, Loring said the song “Total Eclipse of the Heart” blared in the background.
From the brewery: A big, juicy New England-style IPA brewed with Galaxy and Orbit hops in honor of this year’s solar eclipse.
