The 'Haze Craze': Beer Lovers' Newfound Obsession With Murky IPAs

"About 13 years ago, The Alchemist brewery in Waterbury, Vt., released a new IPA called Heady Topper. The brewer, John Kimmich, had decided to neither filter nor pasteurize the beer — both common methods of extending a commercial beer's shelf life. The result was an IPA thicker with the microscopic compounds and particulates that add flavor and aroma. Customers noticed and praised the beer as being especially tasty.

They also noticed the beer's appearance: Heady Topper was unusually murky and opaque, almost like orange juice. Even though Kimmich says the beer's turbidity was never a concern of his, it became a point of focus for many of his customers. Other brewers noticed, too, and some began making their own hazy IPAs. For the next decade, the style remained modestly popular as an East Coast specialty.

Then, a few months ago, hazy IPAs exploded onto the national beer scene. No one can explain this sudden explosion, but beers with the appearance of pulpy fruit juice have swept across the country since then. The phenomenon is now billed the "haze craze." And in the past several months, these so-called New England IPAs have hit the West Coast like a wild dust storm."

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Pharmacist Wins Brewing Competition

The science and technique of preparing and dispensing drugs is probably not unlike the science and execution of brewing and dispensing beer. They are both health sciences, right? Avon, Ohio’s David Cousino sees the connection. The Cleveland-area pharmacist began homebrewing nearly 25 years ago in college, and after a long hiatus, jumped back into the hobby recently. In fact, he used that scientifically tuned brain of his to become a national contender on the brewing scene, recently winning Samuel Adams’ LongShot American Homebrew Competition.

The Monsters, the UFC championship, the Cavaliers, the Longshot competition — Cleveland has never won so much in its municipal career. Might as well put the Indians World Series in the books. Cousino won the competition with a saison. Other winners were Duane Wilson of New York with his American wild ale, and in the competition among Samuel Adams employees, Graham Johnson with his imperial stout.

The brewers from Sam Adams announced the three winners during the Great American Beer Festival in Denver (read our summary of the event). The 2016 LongShot winners join a distinguished group of homebrewers, including some that launched professional brewing careers after their win including: Don Oliver, a 2006 winner; Mike Robinson, a 2009 winner; Cesar Marron, a 2013 winner; Tim Thomssen, a 2015 winner, to name just a few. Here’s a quote from the press release:

“I started out as a homebrewer and saw my dream of becoming a professional brewer turn into a reality,” said Jim Koch, Samuel Adams Brewer and Founder. “Since we started the LongShot competition 20 years ago, we’ve seen an explosion of interest in brewing, and we’re honored to showcase top emerging talent from the homebrewer community with this year’s Contest.”

Source: Here