Crazy Mountain Brewing Company - Shane McConkey IPA

Created by Crazy Mountain to honor the life of freeskiing pioneer and BASE jumper, Shane McConkey, who died doing what he loved in the Dolomite Mountains of Italy, this IPA presents a golden-amber color with a cap of beige foam that laces nicely as it recedes to a collar. In the aroma, look for the hops to deliver some floral and herbal elements, an earthy impression, and a dose of orangey citrus. Flavorwise, there's plenty of bitterness in this 70-IBU brew, but the malt backbone does a good job of supporting those bold hops with a balancing caramelized and lightly toasty character. The floral hop notes came through nicely for us here, too, while the citric overtones merge with the hops' acidity and, as the brew warms, a hint of alcohol, which offers a counterpoint to a bit of residual malt sweetness. For food pairing options, stick with boldly flavored dishes which can stand up to this beer's IBUs while complementing the floral and citric notes. Spicy ceviche is an option, or try spicy lamb skewers with a side of sumac rice. 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.