IF ONLY THIS BEER COULD TALK : A NEW SERIES
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There’s a lot to be said about living in the Pacific Northwest … the great outdoors, the proximity to water, everything is green all year long, and of course there’s some pretty epic golf. But one of the lesser known gems of life here, is the quality of the beer. More specifically, the quality of the IPA, which is considered the workhorse of all Pacific Northwest breweries.
I first discovered IPA's and Pale Ales thanks to a college fake ID and a trip to the Redhook Brewery a couple decades back. Lets just say as good as the beer was back then, times have changed and its infinitely better today. So we wanted to bring in an expert on Pacific Northwest beer and wine and give some love to a few of the finest Pales and IPA’s in the world – understanding that a huge contingent of them are right here, in our own backyard.
We’ve asked John Moscrip of Dukes Seafood, the Pacific Northwest staple that’s been pulling handles since Duke himself was manning the bar in Queen Anne back in 1976, to give us a hand. John, who alongside his father, runs the 7 restaurant empire which has been officially proclaimed the 'Chowder King of the Pacific Northwest'. (Note: Their chowder is so good they eventually weren’t allowed to compete!). What makes John such a valuable resource is that he was not only a former D1 college golfer and currently a (+0), he’s simply one of the most knowledgeable guys in the business, and usually the first person we ask about all things beer and wine.
“For a few years now, I have switched gears a bit and have been really focused on the lighter style, like Pilsners and Lagers. But, I still love a tasty and effervescent IPA, especially as we head into Fall and football! IPAs are the workhorse of the industry these days and still account for most of the hype and sales.” - John Moscrip, Dukes Seafood
We asked John to pull together his PNW favorites, which we lovingly refer to as the 'BREW-RAD IPA/PALE Top 10' … and we invited our resident Citizen of the Game (Scott Taylor) along for the ride in order to help us plow thru a few of the wondrous options. Here’s what we tested …
BREW-RAD TOP 10 IPA/Pale's (In alphabetical order...)
Bodhizafa (Georgetown)
Buoy IPA (Buoy)
Bodhizafa (Georgetown)
Buoy IPA (Buoy)
Crikey (Rueben’s)
Dawn Patrol (Aslan)
Lush (Fremont)
Lush (Fremont)
Mosaic Pale Ale (Stoup)
Superfuzz (Elysian)
TopCutter (Bale Breaker)
Trickster (Black Raven)
Vortex IPA (Fort George)
Trickster (Black Raven)
Vortex IPA (Fort George)
Honorable Mentions:
Seapine IPA (Seapine)
Tropic Haze (Silver City)
Starburst IPA (Ecliptic)
Here’s the results of our exhaustive taste test …
Best IPA Overall
Lush IPA (Fremont)
Best IPA at the Turn
TopCutter IPA (Bale Breaker)
Most Unique
Superfuzz (Elysian)
Stranded Desert Island
Manny’s Pale Ale (Georgetown)
*not officially on the list, but one of our all time favs!
Scott’s Favorite
Starburst IPA (Ecliptic)
Bob’s Favorite
Bodhizafa (Georgetown)