Crazy Mountain brewing Company - Hookiebobb IPA

Pouring a light amber, golden hue with plenty of sticky off-white foam, Hookiebobb IPA offers up an inviting aroma that's boldly floral, with plenty of additional soft fruity citrus and tropical notes. As much as we liked the aroma, we liked the flavor even more. The hop aromas translate directly to the palate as well, where they are, of course, the stars of this hoppy show. But, we really enjoyed the nicely robust backbone of moderate caramel and mildly toasty malt which somehow manages to pull off enough of a counterpoint to the hop bitterness to make this 87 IBU brew come across well-balanced (for the style) and quite smooth, all while not distracting from the delicious hops. Crazy Mountain recommends pairing with spicy Italian sausage rigatoni with tomato sauce and grated parmesan, lemon chicken kabobs with spicy garlic sauce, or shrimp potstickers with red chili sesame oil dipping sauce. There's enough hoppy acidity here to easily cut through fat, so we'd also not hesitate to accompany this IPA with a big charbroiled burger topped with sharp cheddar and a sweet & spicy barbecue sauce. Cheers!

Crazy Mountain Brewing Company was founded in January 2010 by Kevin Selvy and his wife Marisa, and it is the Vail Valley’s first production brewery. A Colorado native, Kevin had worked in finance after graduating from Colorado State, living in Europe and California while pursuing that career, and developing a taste for great beer. It was while he was in California that he got his big break in the brewing industry when some of his homebrew crossed paths with an Anchor Brewing Company employee – leading him on a new path that would take him to positions at several California breweries.

One day in 2007, Kevin got off his shift at Anchor and went to have a beer in the tasting room. It was here that he met Marisa, who had just finished a tour of the brewery. Three short years later the pair would find themselves married, relocated to Colorado, and the owners of their very own brewery. Named after the Selvy family’s Crazy Mountain Ranch, the brewery demanded a ton of hard work to turn it into the success it is today. In the early days, the husband and wife team did everything, including brewing, packaging, remodeling, running their tasting room, and delivering beer to their local accounts via an old pickup truck. While Kevin leads the brewing operations, Marisa leverages her extensive experience working with marketing and advertising agencies in her position as VP of Marketing. The last seven years have delivered tremendous success, with the brewery being expanded twice to meet increased demand, and the tasting room becoming a popular destination for Vail tourists. The brewery currently produces about ten year-round offerings and four seasonals, as well as their limited-run "Local's Stash" beers in corked and caged 750-ml bottles. For more info, contact them at 970-926-3009 or visit www.crazymountainbrewery.com.