Sumerian Brewing Company - Holy Water

Silver medal winner at both the Washington Beer Awards and Sip Northwest's "Best of the NW," this IPA from Sumerian presents an attractive golden hue capped by a head of off-white foam. As one would expect for a Citra-focused IPA, there's a prominent citrus character in the aroma delivering an amalgam of tangerine, orange, and grapefruit. Look also for additional hints of pine, honey, and citrus blossoms. On the palate, we enjoyed this brew's satisfying malt character which comes through with lightly toasty notes and mild caramelization, while those hops offer up plenty of citrus zest and some herbal spice. Sumerian brewed this not to be a palate wrecker, but rather a fairly easy-drinking and sessionable IPA. As such, hop bitterness comes through moderately firm, but easily enough to balance a touch of residual sweetness and linger on the palate with a pleasant citrusy touch in the finish. For pairing options, we'd match the brew's light and citrusy character. Citrus marinated chicken or Asian salads with Mandarins come to mind, as well as turnovers made with orange or lemon. Cheers!

Depending on the source, the ancient Sumerians of Mesopotamia were either the first, or among the first, civilizations to brew beer. In fact, a 6,000-year-old Sumerian tablet depicts people drinking the beverage through straws from a large bowl. Many experts believe beer was invented after accidental fermentation of grain which had been harvested for bread. Some scholars, however, contend beer production predates bread, with beer being brewed specifically for its intoxicating effects. If that's true, then the cultivation of grain, and thus the Agricultural Revolution and dawn of civilization, has its impetus in the desire for beer.

Mark and Holly Ihrig named their brewing company Sumerian in honor of the ancient civilization's significant contribution to the culture of beer. It should be noted that our club's connection to Mark goes way back; he started his own beer club back in 1995, just a year after we did, and though competitors, we always maintained friendly relations. Despite his beer club business, Mark's dream was always to open a brewery, and to that aim he started Boxing Cat Brewery on a small 3-barrel system back in 2001. After a while, he had to put that on hold to focus on his other businesses, but the dream never died.

In 2012, the timing was finally right. Holly retired from consulting and her wedding planning business to go all-in with Mark on Sumerian. Fast forward to today, and under head brewer, Tyson Schiffner, Sumerian offers six year-round brews and four seasonal and rotating selections at retail establishments and at their pub, several of which have won multiple awards at beer competitions. It's our pleasure to bring you a couple of excellent Sumerian brews this month from the beer haven that is the state of Washington. For more info, call 425-486-5330 or visit sumerianbrewingco.com.