Foothills Brewing - Hoppyum

This IPA from Foothills is the brewery’s most popular beer, and after sampling it, it’s easy to see why. Hoppyum presents a radiant copper-amber hue in the glass, topped with a khaki crop of foam that laces nicely as it recedes to a persistent ring. In the aroma department, we picked up tangerine and orange notes with a little pink grapefruit, hints of dark berry, and a distinct pine-like herbal impression. On the palate, there’s a solid backbone of caramel malt with a dash of residual sweetness forming the central satisfying core, on top of which lots of bold hops do their thing. Look for lots of resinous pine and citrus zest, with lighter secondary impressions of tropical and stone fruits. Bitterness here is quite firm, but it’s well supported by that caramelized malt base. Naturally, we’d pair this IPA with boldly spiced foods, but also roasted meats with a sweet, fruity sauce or glaze; that zesty bitterness can cut through both fat and sweetness. Cheers!

Foothills Brewing opened for business in 2005 with a brewpub/restaurant location on Fourth Street in downtown Winston-Salem, NC. At first, co-owner Jamie Bartholomaus was pretty much alone in the brewhouse, crafting Foothills’ beers from homebrew recipes he had developed while attending the University of Georgia in Athens. These days he’s got a bit more help; strong growth since those early days means Foothills now has about 15 employees just on the brewing side of their business alone.

Bartholomaus got his start in the beer world as a homebrewer, which eventually led to him working for Athens, GA’s now defunct Blind Man Ales. After relocating to North Carolina, he did a stint with the respected Olde Hickory Brewery before jumping into business for himself with Foothills. Since then, business has grown steadily, although the last several years have been quite dramatic. After maxing out their brewpub system, Foothills acquired a new, larger, 48,000 sq. ft. facility a few miles to the southwest, which they put into production at the end of 2011, a year which saw a 46% increase in production compared to the year prior.

In 2011, Foothills also acquired the brewing division of Carolina Beer & Beverage, including their Carolina Blonde and Cottonwood Ales brands and all their brewing equipment. This gave Foothills a critical upgrade: the ability to bottle their beers and package them for retail sales instead of relying solely on draft accounts. It also means more people are now getting a chance to try their excellent brews!

For more info on the brewery, their brewpub restaurant, or their eight year-round and myriad seasonal and limited-release beers (including their legendary Sexual Chocolate imperial stout, released annually for Valentine’s Day in very limited amounts) visit www.foothillsbrewing.com or call 336-997-9484.