Cape Ann Brewing Company - Fisherman's IPA

As any good fisherman’s tale reveals, it’s what lurks beneath the surface that you have to look out for. For an IPA, the hop aromas on this beer don’t quite explode out of the glass. Instead, they remain calm and serene, though you certainly can pick up some hop resins with citrus character dominating. As the beer warms, the current rouses notes of pine needles, brown sugar, and hints of spruce. But how quickly the tide can turn from calm to tumultuous. This beer lets you know immediately upon the swallow that there’s more going on that would be offered up by the nose. There’s a higher viscosity than expected, giving a rich, mouth-filling character. Look for notes of gingerbread, saltines, leafy, woody hops, and notes of honey-glazed biscuits, all swept away by a squall of bitterness. Sticky hop resins drop anchor in the throat and don’t let go. A complex brew, the relative calm of the aroma masks a turbulence beneath the surface—but enjoy the ride as this hoppy brew doesn’t overwhelm, lending itself to being rather sessionable for the hopheads out there. Try it with an Italian sub loaded with sweet and spicy peppers.

The Cape Ann Brewing Company got its start quite literally as a detour. Founder Jeremy Goldberg had been working as a bond broker on Wall Street, but after witnessing the tragic events of 9/11, he began to rethink where his life was headed, concluding that life was too short. So, what to do to experience life to the fullest? Why, join his friends making a documentary about craft beer in the United States, what else? The film, American Beer, chronicles the adventures and the many beers of America experienced by the team as they “road trip” their way from New York City out across the nation, visiting 38 breweries in 40 days.* Not surprisingly, after an adventure like that—what with interviewing American brewing entrepreneurs and experiencing some of the world’s best beers at the source—Jeremy knew that his future lay in beer. Within six months of the trip, along with his brother-in-law Michael Beaton and father Michael Goldberg, plans for the Cape Ann Brewing Company were being hatched. Founded in Gloucester, Massachusetts, home of America’s oldest seaport, their beer lineup pays homage to the town’s entrenched fishing heritage. In May of 2004, Cape Ann Brewing Company released their flagship beer, Fisherman’s Brew, an American Amber Lager. Kudos to them for launching a craft brewery with a lager—not a traditional move, given the extra refrigeration and storage costs association with making lager beer. These days they have three year-round beers and a fresh catch of seasonal goodies, with a portion of sales donated to the Northeast Seafood Coalition, a non-profit organization dedicated to working with government regulation and environmental concerns to preserve the long-term health of the fishery resources, fishing communities and the fishing industry. For more information about Cape Ann Brewing Company, call 866-BEER-MEN or check out their web site at www.CapeAnnBrewing.com. Or drop anchor and hang with ‘em at their brand new brewhouse located at 27 Commercial Street in Gloucester, MA. *To check out a trailer for American Beer (definitely entertaining for beer lovers), or to order yourself a copy, visit: http://www.sixhundred.com/films/american_beer/