People Love Bitching

…Well, at least that is what I’ve discovered from a press release from the folks at the Spring Beer and Wine Fest. This year, for the third straight year, Astoria Brewing Company‘s Bitter Bitch Imperial IPA has garnered the vote of the people as best beer at the festival. Current ABC head brewer Bolt Minister has maintained the Bitch as the brewery’s flagship brew (along with an assortment of killer new recipes including some special Belgians) and this, once again has proven to be a wise decision. Upon arriving at ABC, Minister admits to dialing down the hops a bit, and people spoke up saying “‘Where did the hops go?’ My first Bitter Bitch wasn’t up to snuff for the community.”  Soon after, Minister cranked the recipe back up to where it needed to be. Says Minister “To tell you the truth, I dig a good IPA, but it’s not the beer I go to always. I’ll go for a pale ale or a lighter style of beer and I kind of go for more balanced beers, too. So, an imperial IPA is not my favorite beer to make. I feel a little gluttonous making it just because it’s addition after addition and primary dry-hopping and dry-hopping in the secondary. It is fun, but I like a more balanced beer.” The monstrously hoppy 130+ IBU Bitch features Summits, Cascades, Centennials, and a touch of Amarillos for immense seasoning. At Wet Dog Cafe where Minister’s beers are brewed and served, a special blend of Bitter Bitch and the newly retooled Solar Dog IPA combine to make a more balanced Solar Bitch. Woof woof.

Congratulations, Bolt and Astoria Brewing!

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