Pipkin Brewing Company - Pipkin Blonde Ale

Pipkin Blonde ale is brewed with entirely with two row Pipkin pale malts. Paul uses Northern Brewer hops up front for their spicy flavor contributions and German Hallertauer hops at the end of the boil for their aromatic characteristics. Pipkin Blonde Ale, a straw colored pale ale, is brewed in the tradition of a pale German lager and is modeled after the German Helles style. Look for a slightly spicy hop nose and a pale maltiness evident in the nose. Note a somewhat sweet pale malt character dominating this well-balanced, deep golden, filtered ale. Pipkin Blonde ends clean and crisp. Overall, a refreshing, clean session beer.

According to Peter Guetig and Conrad Selle, authors of a book on Louisville Breweries, the city's first brewers included immigrants from the British Isles and, later, German speaking immigrants from southern Germany, Switzerland, and Alsace-Lorraine. These forerunners brought German styles of beer, particularly lager beer, and dominated the local brewing industry in the late 1850's. At the turn of the century, a Louisville beer drinker could pick from over twenty local breweries. That all ended in 1987 when the last of the Louisville breweries closed its doors for good. And now, the Pipkin Brewing Co. is reviving Louisville's local brewing heritage.

Founder, Paul Hummer was 15 yrs old when his father opened the family's first microbrewery - in the basement of the family house. Although not a commercial venture, this early exposure to homebrewing proved to be a turning point in Paul's life. Upon graduation from High School, Paul enrolled at the University of California at Davis where he majored in brewing studies. Following graduation, Paul worked for 4 yrs at the Weeping Radish Brewery in NC. Paul and his wife, Sophie, then relocated to Louisville, KY to launch Pipkin Brewing. The name of the brewery comes from Paul's favorite barley, Pipkin, which typically displays an intense biscuit and malt flavor. The backbone of every Pipkin brew is this exceptional barley malt, a traditional variety rarely employed due to its high cost. "The Pipkin malts lend a depth of flavor to the beers which can only be achieved with superior raw ingredients," notes Paul.