Five breweries from the cities participating in the Poppy Jasper International Film Festival have released their versions of a special Hazy IPA from a single base recipe. Four of the five beers are currently on tap at Mad Pursuit Brewery and will be available in pints or as a flight until supplies run out.
This is the third year that special beers have been created for the festival. This time, Alex DeLong of Mad Pursuit in Hollister and Sean Fitzharris of Brewery Twenty-Five in San Juan Bautista came up with the foundation for the beer, emphasizing local ingredients, including Maiden Voyage from Admiral Malting from Alameda, Kelly Brewing’s yeast, and mash from Hollister Hopyard’s Cascade hops.
Along with Gilroy’s Promised Land Brewing Company and Settle Down Brewery, and Morgan Hill’s Kelly Brewing Company, each beermaker was charged with putting their own stamp on the Hazy IPA by adding other hops and ingredients. All four beers are called Barley Pop 23, with only the brewery name changing.
On April 15, the evening of their release, the beers seemed to be very popular among the regulars at Mad Pursuit. San Benito County Sheriff Mike Kirschmann described the Kelly version as “a wonderful glass of beery orange juice, smooth, tasty, and easy to drink.” Customer Casey Shaffer said the Mad Pursuit version was “very delicious and on the hoppy side with a nice bitterness.”
Shaffer also tried the Settle Down version but said he preferred the one made by Mad Pursuit.
“You can definitely taste the difference in the hops and the things that they added,” he said.
DeLong said that coordinating and working with the other four breweries was a great experience, and he looks forward to repeating the experiment for the next Poppy Jasper Festival. We tried the four available beers. Promised Land’s beer, which is described on its facebook page as a “tropical fruit-infused IPA, is the perfect accompaniment to a night of film and fun,” as of now, is available only at that brewery.
The Beers of the Poppy Jasper Festival
Mad Pursuit – “For our version, we added Simco, Centra, Idaho 7, El Dorado, Vic’s Secret, and Galaxy hops,” DeLong said. “It’s got a good hoppiness to it, and I’m digging the bitterness.” The aroma is beautifully floral, with notes of jasmine and vanilla. It is the more bitter of the four beers and has a nice astringency that hits mid-palate. DeLong picks up hints of sunflower seeds, and there is a certain gravelly, husky edge to it, but I caught some citrus as well. Very smooth, very drinkable, with a bitter edge that lingers.
Kelly Brewing Company – Made with a half barrel of Cascade hops added to the mash, then one pound per barrel of Cascade hops added to the brew, this beer was finished with a secret mixture of Chinook and Cascade hops sourced from Hollister Hopyard. As Kirschmann said, there is a creamy orange juice feel to the beer, with very strong citrus, very little bitterness, and a taste of mango in the finish. With all due respect to my hosts, Mad Pursuit, this was my favorite of the beers just for its smoothness and relaxed drinkability.
Settle Down Brewing – According to the brewery, a “whirlpool addition of Sabro Incognito and a generous dry-hop of Mosaic and Cashmere” were used in creating this beer. This is a darker beer than the other three and has a noticeably roasted pepper aroma. There is a bold streak of poblano pepper that hits the palate like a lightning bolt and stays to the finish. It is almost too obvious that this beer would pair very well with Mexican food. Strong and distinct, this one might be an acquired taste, but worth a try.
Brewery Twenty-Five – Fitzharris said he used El Dorado hops in the whirlpool and then dry-hopped with Medusa hops. “We chose hops that we felt would be complimentary to the base recipe,” he said. “We really enjoy hops with tropical flavors, and we also thought it would be a good time to experiment with a newer variety, Medusa.” I picked up stone fruit in the flavor, particularly bright peach, with strong citrus and melon. It has a nice finish with not a lot of lingering acidity or bitterness. Overall, it is a bright, refreshing beer with a welcoming aroma and an inviting mouthfeel. As with all of his beers, Fitzharris shows perfect control and balance with this Hazy IPA.
Recommendations for future Eat, Drink, Savor articles can be emailed to roberteliason@benitolink.com.
BenitoLink thanks our underwriters, Hollister Super and Windmill Market, for helping to expand the Eat, Drink, Savor series and give our readers the stories that interest them. Hollister Super (two stores in Hollister) and Windmill Market (in San Juan Bautista) support reporting on the inspired and creative people behind the many delicious food and drink products made in San Benito County. All editorial decisions are made by BenitoLink.
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