Moonraker Brewing Co. opened in 2016 in the same Auburn, California industrial park as Knee Deep Brewing, and was later honored as the ninth-best new brewery in the world by RateBeer, a resource for craft beer enthusiasts. Along with additional honors from RateBeer, Moonraker has received recognition in other competitions, including the California State Fair and their Extremis toppled Russian River’s stalwart Pliny the Younger to win the 2017 Bistro Double IPA Festival’s triple IPA category. Brewmaster Zack Frasher’s buckwild brew-style and creative openness has been the key to success and standing out in the crowd, although he recently left to start a new project. Moonraker’s solar powered facility cranks out highly coveted New England style hazy beers, including the four beers in today’s beer flight, Craft Beer Crosscut 5.22.19: A Flight of Moonraker.

Craft Beer Crosscut 5.22.19: A Flight of Moonraker

Moonraker Bone Frog

5.8% ABV, 40 IBU

Big aroma of apricot, pineapple and peach smack you in the face before you dive into Moonraker’s quaffable, hazy pale ale. Fermented dry as a bone for crushability, without sacrificing flavor, and the notes of biscuit, and tangerine bring it all together.

Moonraker Mosaic Crush’d

6% ABV

Moonraker takes a simple New England style pale ale recipe and blasts it with huge late kettle additions and massive dry hopping with Mosaic hops. This hop bursts with juicy layers of mango, berry, tangerine, peach, and a little bit of dank.

Moonraker Strange Magic

6.5% ABV

This New England juice bomb IPA sports all the gobstopper and Wonka vibes with candy notes such as peach rings and gummy bears.

Moonraker Zulu Haze

6.8% ABV, 50 IBU

Moonraker’s New England style IPA Zulu Haze makes its second appearance at Peaks and Pints — almost a year later since the California brewery made the drive north to Tacoma. Simcoe and Citra hops work in harmony for huge flavors and aromas of evergreen, melon, guava, citrus, and passionfruit.