Hinterland Brewery - Jamaican Haze IPA

Originally brewed by Hinterland in 2020 as a limited 25th anniversary beer, Jamaican Haze is now a year-round offering thanks to its popularity. This brew presents a bright golden orange color that’s well-hazed, indeed, topped by plenty of persistent off-white foam. On the nose, look for very engaging hop aromas evoking ripe citrus and tropical fruits in the lead, backed up by touches of peach-like stone fruits, a dash of characteristic Sabro hops coconut, and hints of pine and minty herbaceousness. On the palate, the malt contribution delivers some wheaty tanginess along with mild neutral crackery notes, plus a good degree of smoothness that’s aided by the use of flaked oats – which also contribute to the haze. We found the hops vivid and juicy in the flavor, offering waves of citrus juice and zest with tropical overtones, and some cooling herbal notes conjuring impressions of mint and wisps of clove. For pairing options, the brewery recommends hot wings, curry, tacos, and pizza. We’d also turn to exotically spiced dishes, perhaps with cardamom, cumin, anise, or clove, such as moderately spicy biryani. Fruity Mexican, Thai, or Vietnamese dishes should work nicely, too. Cheers!

Hinterland Brewery was founded by husband and wife duo Bill and Michelle Tressler in 1995. The story begins a couple years earlier when the young couple were living in California’s Bay Area with Bill working as a journalist at the SF Chronicle. When work dried up in the midst of a strike at the paper, it was a natural fit for him as a homebrewer to take a new job as editor for American Brewer and Beer the Magazine. Fully bitten by the beer bug at that point, he enrolled in brewing school at both UC Davis and the American Brewers Guild to learn more about commercial brewing. He and Michelle then returned back to Wisconsin and started a tiny brewery in a defunct cheese factory just outside Bill’s hometown of Green Bay. At first, Bill and Michelle were the only employees, handling everything from brewing, to bottling, to marketing, while relying upon generous friends and family to lend as many hands as possible.

Despite their modest beginnings, soon enough they were able to expand their operation by moving into a larger facility – a turn-of-the-century era former meat packing warehouse in Green Bay which gave them more space for production as well as a farm-to-table restaurant. Fast forward 30 years and Hinterland is a fixture of Green Bay’s Titletown district, directly across the street from Lambeau Field. Their vision is to brew beer they can be proud of, and not “corporate, diluted crap.” Cheers to that! The brewery produces an array of year-round, seasonal, and limited production beers, and their attached Beer Hall restaurant evokes a “German bräuhaus with an urban twist and a better sense of humor.” For more info, check them out at hinterlandbeer.com.