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It’s rare when we can trace a new type of beer to the moment of inception, but one of IPA’s newest sub-styles may be the exception. Kim Sturdavant, brewmaster at San Francisco’s Social Kitchen and Brewery, had an idea last November that worked so well, the Brut IPA has become one of the hottest new IPA varieties.
The name comes from the world of Champagne, where brut means a very dry wine, as opposed to a sweet one. Sturdavant called the original version a Hop Champagne Extra Brut IPA, but after refining it a bit more to his liking, it’s known these days as Puttin’ on the Spritz. The Brut IPA’s defining characteristic is that these beers are bone dry. They’re also lighter in color than other IPAs and tend to be effervescent and sparkling. They’re loaded with hop character, but have almost no bitterness, which makes them very refreshing.
How did Sturdavant do it? He used a brewing enzyme — amylase glucosidase. In a nutshell, enzymes are proteins that convert the barley into sugars, which yeast feed on to make alcohol. Typically, the enzymes leave behind residual sugars that give beer its sweetness. Sometimes brewers add additional enzymes to reduce the residual sugar further. But nobody had added those enzymes to an IPA before.
Sturdavant thought it might be interesting to give it a go. After using some in his Triple IPA, Sturdavant recalled thinking, “This would be really cool to throw in an IPA and really push that. I think there’s a balance that some Bay Area brewers, especially Rodger (Davis of Faction Brewing) and some of Vinnie’s (Cilurzo of Russian River Brewing) beers do where they’re just bone dry. There’s no lingering bitterness, and they’re just really tasty, dry, hoppy beers with nothing in the way. And so, I think I was inspired by really good aromatic, dry, hoppy beers.”
One thing led to another, he says, as he tried “to push that balance as far as I could with the use of enzymes. And then that sort of spawned into, wouldn’t it be cool if I could make it as Champagne-like as possible? So the logical thing to do was to try and get the color as light as possible — which then turned into let’s use pilsner malt and then let’s throw some adjuncts in to lighten it even more.”
He ended up using a mix of 20 percent rice, 20 percent corn and the rest pilsner malt.
The result is a revelation. Now Brut IPAs are spreading like wildfire. I stopped by Social Kitchen last week, hoping to get a taste of Puttin’ on the Spritz, and was not only impressed by the beer, but excited to see two more Brut IPAs on tap. One is Brut Squad, a collaboration between Social Kitchen and Los Angeles’ Eagle Rock Brewing. The other is a guest beer, Gucci’s a Clone Brut IPA from Santa Rosa’s Henhouse Brewing.
Other brewers have reached out about his beer, and Sturdevant has been evangelical in spreading the word. He’s done collaboration Brut IPAs with Triple Voodoo Brewing, Temescal Brewing, Cellarmaker and Seven Stills Brewing, as well.
Puttin’ on the Spritz is 6.1 percent alcohol by volume, a very light straw color with a tart grapefruit nose, a zesty mouthfeel and clean throughout. The hops are fresh and vibrant, but not bitter. The finish, of course, is very dry. I kept wondering how it might work mixed with orange juice as a Beermosa. The Brut Squad had more peach and tea flavors, but was also quite delicious, and the Henhouse seemed juicier with loads of fruit character.
Like many beers where the fresh hop aromas and flavors are key, Brut IPAs are best when fresh, which means you’ll want to drink them on tap. A few breweries have begun packaging their Brut IPAs, so check dates and make sure they’re as new as possible — and don’t wait to enjoy them. These are not beers for aging.
Monterey’s Alvarado Street Brewing, for example, is canning its Champagne Hopi, brewed with Mosaic, Citra and Azacca hops. Another of Social’s collaborations is also canned: Caviar Dreams, which Sturdavant brewed with Seven Stills Brewing. Both are available in 16-ounce cans.
Will Brut IPAs last? People like them, brewers are having fun making them and they’re becoming increasingly easier to spot at bars. Give Brut IPA a try. It’s a refreshing new take on IPAs.
