Sprecher Brewing Company - IPA2

Sprecher's double IPA looks great in the glass, presenting a rich-looking amber color with a voluminous and persistent head of tight-bubbled foam that leaves behind lots of lacing as it descends slowly to a lasting collar. Beautiful, luscious hop aromas drew us in, as well; look for bold citrus notes of grapefruit, orange, and lemon, plus hints of pine, soft floral tones, and a touch of herbal spice. A caramelized malt note underpins it all, hinting at the sturdy malt character to come. We found this brew just hugely expressive on the palate as 90 IBUs of hop bitterness hits upfront and never relents, lingering long in the dry finish. The malt core is quite robust, delivering caramel and big toasty character – perfect support for the huge hop profile. In addition to bitterness, the American hops also deliver big citrus zest notes and prominent herbal, piney character. Amazingly, the ABV weighs in at just 6.5%, which is firmly in standard IPA territory despite this being a double IPA, meaning this brew won't knock you on your butt in the way most other beers in the style will. For pairing options, we'd advise gravitating towards boldly-flavored foods – anything less and the beer will overpower the dish. Bold, aged cheeses are a good call, along with well-salted meats like ham or various charcuterie. Grilled pork loin with a fruity sauce sounds good to us, too. Cheers!

Randal (Randy) Sprecher, a former Pabst Brewing Company brewing supervisor, founded Sprecher Brewing Company in Milwaukee, WI in 1985 with an emphasis on German-style beers – an emphasis which continues to this day with beer styles such as Maibock, Oktoberfest (Märzen), Hefeweiss, Schwarzbier, and this month's featured Hometown Brew lager. After about a decade, the company had grown to the point where they needed a larger facility, and in 1994 the brewery was moved to its current location a few miles to the north in Glendale, WI. The new, bigger brewery offered the company the room to keep growing, and they have established themselves as significant contributors to the city of Milwaukee’s impressive brewing tradition, which reaches far beyond the presence of the current mega-brewery that’s based in the city. In the late 19th century, Milwaukee boasted over 80 breweries until Prohibition led to the demise of most of them in 1919. Nevertheless, the city can be spoken of historically as a craft brewing haven, and the success of the Sprecher beers there in recent years shows that the enthusiasm for great beer is still alive and well.

If you’re ever in the Milwaukee area, check out the Sprecher brewery and buy as many brews as you can bring home with you. You might need an extra suitcase, though, because in addition to their multitude of excellent German-style brews they also make a number of excellent ales such as Irish-style Stout, English-style Brown Ale, and more – including this month's featured Abbey Triple. For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, visit their website at www.sprecherbrewery.com or call them at 414-964-2739.