Born in Massachusetts and raised in Connecticut, New Englander Steve Luke spent the summer of 2005 between his junior and senior year at Colby College in Maine sweeping floors and making boxes at Allagash Brewing Company. Upon graduating with a degree in sociology and economics, Luke accepted a job washing kegs at Captain Lawrence Brewing Company in the Hudson Valley. He then moved to Boston to work in the marketing department at Harpoon Brewery. After graduation, Luke returned to Allagash as a brewer, and later became head brewer of Cambridge House Brewpub in Connecticut, where he had freedom to play with the pub’s recipes. In 2010, Luke moved to California to attend UC Davis’s brewing school. With a degree in hand, Luke followed his now-wife to her Seattle residency program. He became head brewer of Rogue’s Issaquah Brewhouse, and one year later, the head brewer of Elysian Fields. The January 2015 Anheuser-Busch acquisition of Elysian Brewing pushed brewer Steve Luke into his dream of owning his own brewery. Luke quickly opened Cloudburst Brewing, with his director of sales Noah Schellhammer, just north of Pike Place Market and word quickly spread that Seattle had a new house of hops. People still jam pack the small taproom attached to the 7,200 square-foot brewhouse, although some relief was had when Cloudburst opened a second location just off Shilshole Bay in Ballard. Today, Peaks & Pints presents an in-house flight of Cloudburst Beer — a flight we’re calling Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Cloudburst Brewing.

Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Cloudburst Brewing

Cloudburst Happy Little Clouds

5.1% ABV

You’ve seen Alaskan hippy Bob Ross — the afro-sporting TV artist who painted “happy little clouds” on his PBS series “The Joy of Painting.” There’s a Bob Ross drinking game for the tens of fans who religiously watched his downtempo paint-by-numbers show. Ross introduces a proper color. Drink Cloudbust Brewing Happy Little Clouds pilsner. Ross says something “lives” somewhere. Drink Cloudbust Brewing Happy Little Clouds pilsner. Ross beats his brush on the easel. Drink Cloudbust Brewing Happy Little Clouds pilsner. The Seattle brewery brewed their German pilsner while envisioning painting pretty landscapes. “We believe everyday is a good day when you brew,” states Cloudburst Brewing. “Start out, by believing here. A little touch of pilsner malt here, a little push of German and American hops there, caressed very gently layer after layer after layer. There are no limits here.”

Cloudburst Flip of the Coin IPA

6.5% ABV

“Of all the hop combos we’ve implemented in our 8+ years, this one is new to us,” states Cloudburst. “BUT – it should make sense. HBC 630 has notes of cherry and fruit punch, Idaho 7 brings some pineapple flair & Citra rounds it all out with tangerine & peach. Basically, a dole fruit cup in hop form. There’s always some potential for an unknown outcome, but this one you can definitely call “Heads!” No wait, “TAILS.” Actually shit, tails always fails, we mean HEADS! GOTTA BE HEADS. FINAL ANSWER.”

Cloudburst Motueka MaDnESs! IPA

6.6% ABV

“Oops we DID it again,” states Cloudburst. “We played with our lots, got lost in the game, oh baby baby, it might seem like one hop, Motueka from aboooove, single hop in ess-ence. That’s right. Another *mostly* single hop IPA with 6 different lots of Motueka hops from Freestyle Farms, Hop Revolution, & Nelson Lakes picked in 3 different years, in T90 pellets and FH Subzero Hop Kief. It’s like 10% other hops…that doesn’t matter. You wanna know what Motueka tastes like in a modern hazy IPA? Look no further. We got you. You got this. It’s MADNESS. And it’s also very citrusy and floral – with notes of lime, Meyer lemon, kumquat, and rose.”

Cloudburst Will They, Won’t They IPA

6.7% ABV

“Ok so we all know Mosaic is on the Mount Rushmore of IPA hops,” states Cloudburst. “It’s been referred to as a ‘cheat code,’ a ‘game changer,’ ‘instant awesomeness’ and ‘the MSG in your favorite IPA.’ We love it, you love it, few hops are as delicious or dominant, and for very valid reasons. Luminosa, HOWEVER, is still untested and unproven. We’ve liked the beers we’ve made with it – often getting softer notes of tangerine, mango & melon – but we’ve only used it a few times, so it’s still this unknown variable. Hence, pairing it with some of our favorite Mosaic lots! Will they get along and complement each other? Or will they clash and compete? Will the Luminosa round out the bright edges of Mosaic? Won’t they be BFF4EVR? (The answer is YEAH OBVS!)”

Cloudburst Beware of the Undertow

6.8% ABV

“Feel that? That pull? It’s outside your control,” state Cloudburst. “It exists whether you acknowledge it or ignore it (we do not recommend the latter). It feels kind of dangerous, a force bigger than you, that only nature and the moon can dictate. It’s constant, rhythmic, distinct – as subtle as it is assertive. It demands respect or you will pay the price. We’ve seen it firsthand. You’ve been warned…about New Zealand style IPAs, like this one, brewed with Nelson, Riwaka, & a lil Mosaic. It will spray you with aromatics of white grape & beach grass, suck you in with intense passionfruit and waste your pallet with that pithy resinous bite.”

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