Alaskan Jalapeño Imperial IPA
The American Imperial IPA style was developed and made popular by west coast American breweries seeking to create a highly intense drinking experience. The style is most often characterized by a gold or copper color, citrus hop character, big malt body and lingering bitterness. The addition of jalapeño peppers lends itself to furthering this intensity, while effortlessly pairing with the style’s hop profile.
This Jalapeño Imperial IPA is fresh from the onset, with a quartet of bright hops playing off zesty jalapeño heat. A lustrous head retains the citrusy combination of Centennial, Sterling, Magnum and Apollo hops. Fresh jalapeños are used not only during brewing, but also after fermentation for a pleasant aroma, full-bodied flavor and genuine picante kick. A sweet bready malt backbone provides balance to the peppery fire.
Alaskan brewers set out on a quest to brew up a hop-forward beer with a smooth malt body and just enough heat to stave off the cold of an Alaskan winter. In the spirit of exploration, and as a challenge to their skill, they sought to maximize the flavor of jalapeño. The result is a well-balanced beer that showcases not just the volcanic power of the jalapeño pepper, but also its flavor and aroma.
Alaskan Jalapeno Imperial IPA is made from glacier-fed water, the finest quality Centennial, Sterling, Magnum, and Apollo hops, premium two-row and specialty malts, and a whole lot of fresh jalapeños.
A complex hop build and jalapeño kick make this beer a perfect pairing for pub fare, such as fish and chips and cheeseburgers. Rich foods like red meats and cheeses will pull out the malty characteristics, but ultimately South and Central American food is the partner this brew was born to tango with.
Forming the Northern part of the seismically-active Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the Alaska Peninsula and Aleutian Islands are home to dozens of active volcanoes, making up over three quarters of the volcanoes that have erupted in the past 200 years in the U.S. The largest 20th century explosion on earth occurred here, the 1912 eruption of Novarupta and Katmai, which formed the Valley of Ten Thousand Smokes. While Alaska is often thought of as a cold place, this unexpected heat is also a part of who we are, and the jalapeño heat in this double IPA provides a reminder that you may be surprised by what you find in Alaska. The volcano pictured on our label is Augustine, named by Captain Cook in 1778, which is the most active of the eastern Aleutian volcanoes and is often seen letting off steam in Cook Inlet.
