As a brewery owner, brewer, wife and mother, Grace Fowler often finds herself with way too much spare time on her hands. So, since she’s always been a fan of grapefruit in beer, she decided to zest a metric buttload of them by hand to add to an American-style pale ale. Finally, something useful for her to do.
The base beer has an updated hop profile from the grapefruity APAs of the early 2010s – Reckless used Simcoe and Azacca, both as late whirlpool additions – that brings punchy citrus notes for the grapefruit to bounce off.
And bounce it does. This beer is grapefruit from start to finish. Don't get me wrong, the hops are definitely doing the supporting work that makes the fruit shine... but the grapefruit is what you experience front and centre, from the huge spritz on the nose to the clear flavour in the mouth to the bitter dryness that eventually whisks it all away and leaves you ready for more.
I’m glad you found something to keep yourself busy, Grace. May I suggest scraping vanilla beans and shelling pistachios for your next beer?
Mick Wüst
Published February 7, 2024 2024-02-07 00:00:00
