Many West Coast breweries love hops. And I mean “loooovve” hops. Hence the West Coast IPA moniker, indicating a subcategory of India Pale Ale that is loaded with enough hops to make the whole room smell like a pine forest that encloses a citrus grove, and a bitterness level that the non-hopheads often finds too intimidating.
Beachwood BBQ & Brewing of Southern California (two locations: Long Beach and Seal Beach) embraces the West Coast IPA style in the making of its Thrillseeker India Pale Ale.
Beachwood is a small brewery, but it sports bona fides in the craft beer world. It won five medals – two gold – and was named Mid-Size Brewpub of the Year at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival. The company does double-duty as a barbecue joint at both locations, and offers a wide array of other craft beers on tap and in the bottle.
The Thrillseeker is brewed with Chinook, Summit, Centennial and Simcoe hops, then dry-hopped with more Chinook and Simcoe. That’s a lot of hops, and it becomes evident as soon as the top is popped. Aromas of the hop stew emanate from the bottle, becoming even more pronounced when it’s poured.