Ah, the Northeast IPA. We have had so many complicated feelings on this style. No other style has swept the craft brewing conscious by storm, and seemed to include some amazing beers, but also way too much hype, confusion of both drinkers and brewers about what makes a good one, and lines out the door for four packs of cans.

BUT, when done right, they are so good. We eventually caved, not to any trendiness of the style or market pressures, but simply the urge to learn more about the style, and what makes a good one. We think we have our recipe and process down at this point.

It’s super easy to drink. There is bitterness, but it’s very smooth and appeals to people that don’t like other IPA’s. It has a soft mouthfeel. Tons of orange, grapefruit, tropical fruit, and peppery hop aroma and flavor. And yes, it’s even hazy, although we do not add flour, or intentionally make it look like a mud puddle.

You Wanted A Hit is brewed with a base of Haus Malts Ohio-grown barley, wheat, and oats, a touch of conventional carapils, and the best “new school” IPA hops we can find. We prefer to ferment this beer with Omega “Hornindal” kveik yeast. This is a strain of yeast that was isolated from Norwegian farmhouse-style beers, but it is quickly gaining popularity throughout the craft brewing world, for its clean fermentation profile, and its ability to ferment beer hot & fast. It definitely adds some light tropical esters that help emphasize the tropical / citrus hop profile of this beer.