Otter Creek Brewing Company - Free Flow IPA

Free Flow presents a hazy orange-gold hue in the glass, capped by a large head of foam that drops to a persistent collar while lacing the glass nicely. Look for an engaging multifaceted hop aroma full of juicy citrus and tropical notes, with secondary melon and stone fruits, all bolstered by a soft floral quality and a wisp of mint. It’s deliciously juicy on the palate too, with those hops taking center stage with plenty of fruity tones along with a dash of herbal spice and moderate bitterness. The malt core offers robust pale barley malt along with a touch of tangy wheat, delivering plenty of support to the hops while allowing them to remain the stars of this show. For pairings, you’ve got lots of options. We’d steer towards Mexican dishes like carnitas tacos with chopped onion and lime, or Baja-style fish tacos with a bright slaw. Fresh-caught and grilled white fish or seared scallops sound great as well, as does a simple plate of chicken wings with a tropical sauce. Cheers!

The Otter Creek Brewing began in the beautiful town of Middlebury, Vermont, and shipped their first keg of beer back in March of 1991. Their original brewery was conceived in 1989 by Lawrence Miller, an avid homebrewer with extensive experience traveling through and studying brewing in Europe. Four years later, they had outgrown their original site and moved into a state of the art brewery just down the road. Middlebury was chosen as the brewery site as much for its quality of life as for its excellent water obtained from the pristine Otter Creek River (hence their name).

In 2022, Otter Creek became part of Massachusetts Bay Brewing Company, an employee-owned company based in Boston (most famous in Massachusetts for their famed Harpoon Brewery) and in Windsor, Vermont, where they’ve been brewing for over two decades. Otter Creek’s current focus is on hoppy ales – specifically IPAs – and we’re excited to bring their beers to our club members for the first time in almost 15 years. For more information about the brewery, visit them at ottercreekbrewing.com.