Tragedy Salad

Brewer's notes:

Normally I'd mention some kind of history here and talk about how this style should taste, but the jury is still out on both counts. At some point in the not-too-distant past, a brewer added enough hops to their lager to feel like "hoppy lager" wasn't a sufficient enough descriptor, so it was time to apply the coveted title of "IPA". Whereas IPA as a style has a long and complex history, I suspect IPL just sort of popped into existence on day. 

That's the history. As for the characteristics, there are two strategies: ferment a West Coast IPA with lager yeast or load a lager up with tons of hops. I prefer a bit of a middle ground. An overlap in a Venn Diagram of IPA and Lager. A hey-you-got-chocolate-on-my-peanut-butter approach*. This is actually the grain bill to a West Coast IPA recipe of mine, with water treated to that of a lager for a light crisp body, with hopping rates of an IPA – only with hops traditionally used in lagers – and then fermented low and slow with a German lager yeast. I think the hops are the key here. None of them are hops I've seen in an IPA before, but they bring a bright punch and then get out of the way for that crisp finish. 

* Maybe it's the constant focus on cleanliness and transmittable germs in this pandemic climate, but that commercial is disgusting. She straight up starts eating a chocolate bar a stranger was chewing on a moment earlier.  

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Cheers