It will be 61 degrees and raining in New Zealand, today. Sounds quite lovely. Let’s pretend we’re Down Under today in the only way possible — drinking beers made with New Zealand hop varieties. American craft breweries began seriously researching these hops in 2016 as many hops varieties grown in the United States are becoming more expensive and more difficult to get as the craft-brewing industry expands and more consumers embrace craft beer. The Southern Hemisphere brings wild, tropical, and overwhelming bright, fruity characteristics from such hops as Nelson Sauvin, Galaxy, Ella, Vic Secret, Enigma, Motueka, Moutere, Wai-iti, Nectaron, Rakau, Waimea, Pacific Jade, Wakatu, Kohatu, and many others. Today, Peaks & Pints presents a to-go flight of craft beers brewed with New Zealand hops — a flight we’re calling Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: New Zealand Hops On The Fly.
Peaks and Pints Pilot Program: New Zealand Hops On The Fly
Urban Family Foeder Pilz
4.3% ABV
Urban Family’s new pilsner is an oak fermented lager dry-hopped with Wakatu and Moutere from New Zealand and fermented with L17 from Imperial Yeast. After an initial fermentation in their oak foeder, they transferred to a stainless-steel tank to lager for an additional 6 weeks. The result is a crispy and limey pilsner.
Fort George Powercycle – Nectaron
5% ABV
Powercycle Pale Ale is a new series from the Fort George brewers that focuses attention on one dominant hop flavor while balancing your experience with a functional network of malt and varied hop additions. The first release in the Power Cycle series features Nectaron hops from New Zealand for flavors of creamsicle, mango, lemon zest, and gooseberry that are balanced by a smooth, yet lively bitterness.
Spider City Deer Hugger
6.6% ABV
Melanie Betti, her twin sister Michele Betti, and their friend Tammy Treat dreamed-up Spider City Brewing while attending California State University in Chico. In November 2019, they launched in southeast Bend, Oregon. Their Deer Hugger hazy IPA is brewed with New Zealand hops, plus dry hopped with almost four pounds of hops per barrel for citrus notes and light spice.
Wayfinder Jazz Witch Cold IPA
7.2% ABV
Kevin Davey is the brewmaster at Wayfinder Beer in Portland. His résumé includes stints at Chuckanut Brewing in Bellingham, Firestone Walker in Central California, and Georgetown Brewing and Gordon Biersch in Seattle. Davey basically invented the cold IPA style where it’s brewed with lager yeast at warmer temperatures to suppress the yeast’s stronger character and create a blank canvas for unadulterated hop flavor and aroma. His latest cold IPA, Jazz Witch, is brewed with tropical, bebop-infused bohemian hops, with heavy influence of surreal New Zealand strains sending a whiff of diesel over lemongrass inflected notes of pineapple, mandarin, and that wild American underground flavor jazz.
Mother Earth Dimensional Universe
7% ABV
Mother Earth Brewing’s mission is to help savor the goodness of Mother Earth by being a low-impact brewery. In 2013, the United States Green Building Council took notice, and after a nine-month observation period, they awarded Mother Earth Brewing a Gold certification in the LEED® program. Mother Earth became the first production brewery in the country to achieve the Gold rating. Their Dimensional Universe hazy IPA is brewed with New Zealand Nelson Sauvin, Mosaic, and Strata hops for notes of ripe berries and passionfruit.
Anchorage IPA Games
8.4% ABV
The variety of IPAs is endless with the never-ending variety of hop product and techniques. Anchorage Brewing‘s IPA Games hazy double IPA is brewed with Citra Incognito and double dry hopped with New Zealand Cascade, Motueka, Vic Secret, and Waimea hops for citrusy sniffs, tropical hoppiness, sweet Tangerine zestiness, and subtle bitterness.
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