- Metazoa – Cat Hops – This is a hoppy one, so if you’re a fan of IPAs, it would be a great one to try. It’s very West Coast, and loaded with 4 pounds of hops in every barrel. When I say that, it means the beer has a bold flavor – with a nice balance of Tropical and Citrus, but then it combines a bit of a piney bite. This one is right in line at a solid 7%. I often think of them as the Fir Tree of beer. Also, Metazoa is a beer out of Indy that gives back a portion of what they sell to animal and wildlife organizations.
- Lagunitas – New DogTown Pale Ale – A west coast brand that has been in our area for the last 7 years, thanks to their satellite location in Chicago. If you are looking for something that has more malt, and some bright hops, this is a great beer… and also another great entry point into the craft scene. While it leans a little hoppy-er than a typical pale, it has a nice crisp & clean finish. But it clocks in a little higher at 6.2%. Plus the dog on this label isn’t one that’s owned by anyone at the brewery – it was inspired by Petey, the dog from the Little Rascals.
- BrewDog – Elvis Juice – This is an import, from a Scottish Brewery that now has their own Hotel in Ohio. It’s the World’s First Craft Beer Hotel in the world and it’s in Columbus. Shower Beer? You betcha. They have a beer fridge in the shower. This one is more fruity than the previously mentioned IPA. It has a massive amount of citrus and juiciness that brings on the grapefruit flavor, but then has a nice piney balance, too. It’s another one that was modeled off the West Coast Style, which before the Haze craze, was THE beer style most hop heads grabbed. Elvis Juice is 6.5%.
- Dogfish Head – Lemon Quest – These guys are from Delaware and one of the bigger craft breweries in the United States. This one featured is the first non-alcoholic craft beer I’ve featured on the Tap 5. It’s brewed with lemon, blueberries, acai, monk fruit, and hops…but it’s also a wheat beer. It similarly resembles a Summer Shandy, but you can have as much as you want! They also give back to the Nature Conservancy, so this beer is doing some good work, too.
- Shorts – Psychadelic Cat Grass – This brewery once said it wouldn’t leave the state of Michigan. It was only for our neighbors to the north. But as the industry changed with all the new places and great beers coming out, they decided to distribute outside to select states. Thankfully we’re one of them, and if you see this Cat Grass beer on the shelf, pick it up. (Don’t quote me) I think it’s a seasonal beer that they release during the summer. It’s a triple hopped IPA, that is incredible tropical with Mango, Pineapple, Grapefruit, and Tangerine. This one clocks in at 7.6%.
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