Ellicottville Brewing Company - Keepin' It Peel

Over the last few years, as the IPA category has expanded dramatically and spun off a variety of different sub-styles and interpretations, we've seen a lot of citrus-infused IPAs brewed with the actual juice or peel of oranges, lemons, grapefruits, tangerines, and more. It's a natural fit for IPAs brewed with citrus-focused hop varieties. Keepin' It Peel is Ellicottville's entry into the category, using both grapefruit and lime peel. This brew presents a hazy golden color capped by a lingering head of rocky foam. On the nose, there are huge zesty notes that, unsurprisingly, conjure impressions of grapefruit and lime. The best examples of citrus IPAs make it difficult to taste where the hops end and the actual citrus fruit begins, and that's true here as Ellicottville's massive dose of Citra hops merges nicely into the citrus peel contribution to offer a hugely fruity, juicy character. But it's not all about the citrus; look for a fairly bold melon-like note as well, along with some tropical fruit tones. The malts stay mostly out of the limelight (see what we did there?), but provide a solid stage for our fruity stars. This creamy smooth citrus IPA is super refreshing on its own, especially at just 5% ABV, but we'd also encourage food pairings that play off of the citrus notes. Spicy orange or lemon peel chicken or shrimp would be a good call, as would freshly prepared ceviche. Cheers!

Ellicottville Brewing Company was started by Allen and Walter Yahn and Peter Kreinheder out of a desire to open a family business. The inspiration struck while on a ski trip to Vail, CO, where craft brewing got an early foothold. There was the realization that Ellicottville, sometimes referred to as the “Aspen of the East,” would be the perfect location for a craft brewery and grill. Their instincts were proven right, and over 20 years later EBC is a thriving craft brewery with a devoted following in Ellicottville and throughout western New York.

The original brewpub location in Ellicottville was expanded in 2013 and now boasts a German-style beer garden along with a restaurant and brewhouse. Additionally, EBC has three other locations in western New York state: EBC West in Fredonia, near Lake Erie; their Bemus Point location, which opened in 2016 along the shores of Chautauqua Lake; and a brand new location in Little Valley which is scheduled to open to the public in the spring of 2018. This latter location will offer an outdoor concert venue, a beer garden for the summertime, and winter activities perfect for snow mobilers riding the Pat McGee Trail. Just as cool, in our opinion, will be their all-ages Craft Brewing Science Center, with exhibits delving into the four main components of beer – malts, hops, water, and yeast – along with brewing equipment and more.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, check them out at ellicottvillebrewing.com.