Wild Ride Brewing Company - Electri-Fly IPA

Pouring a bright golden-copper color and capped by a fluffy head of off-white foam, Electri-Fly drew us in immediately with its impressive aroma. Brewed with New Zealand Wakatu hops and the intriguing Medusa hop variety (which is descended from wild hops from New Mexico and represents a different subspecies, neomexicanus, than the standard lupulus varieties), this IPA delivers big tropical fruit aromas akin to passionfruit, mango, and pineapple, as well as cantaloupe & honeydew, citrus, and stone fruit. These vivid hop notes come forth on the palate, too, with perhaps a bit more of a citric edge, including flashes of lime. The malt backbone is sturdy and unobtrusive, offering some mild caramel and a touch of residual sweetness, which is easily balanced by the hop bitterness which lingers in the finish with a zesty citric impression. For pairing options, it's hard not to think tropical. Fish tacos with mango salsa sounds great to us, along with grilled Mahi-Mahi spritzed with lime and a side of coconut milk rice. Cheers!

Situated in Deschutes County, in Oregon's high desert on the eastern side of the Cascades, sits the small city of Redmond. Just 15 miles north of Bend, Redmond is pretty much smack dab right in the center of Oregon, a state well-known for its exceptional beer. For a group of Redmond natives, who were lifelong friends and craft beer lovers, the idea of opening a brewery and tap room downtown turned from a dream into a reality when the first beers of Wild Ride started flowing in May of 2014.

Planning for the brewery began in late 2011. Joining the Redmond natives was Paul Bergeman who brought his 13 years of brewing experience to the team to serve as brewmaster (or Beer Maestro, as they like to say). Paul's brewing experience includes time at Portland's Laurelwood Brewing Co., as well as serving in the position of Brewing Manager at Hawaii's famous Kona Brewing Co. With the right people in place, the next step was finding the right location. In 2013, the team found an old lumber warehouse in downtown Redmond that would be perfect for a brewery, although a ton of work had to be done first. Full utilities were added, including running water and waste water pretreatment. A brand new 20-barrel brewing system was installed, giving them today a total production of just over 9000 barrels per year. Their on-site Tap Room is family friendly and served by multiple local food trucks, so visitors can enjoy good grub along with some awesome local beer. We're very much looking forward to seeing how this Wild Ride evolves over the next few years. In their short existence, they've already garnered a slew of medals and awards from numerous competitions including the North American Beer Awards, US Open Beer Championship, Oregon Beer Awards, Best of Craft Beer Awards, and more. For more info, call 541-516-8544 or visit www.wildridebrew.com.