When we look at the shelves and shelves of beer at our local stores, we find a gallery of artwork and creativity to behold. The names of the beer can be current, of the moment, such as Mask On IPA or they can be long-lived, like Voodoo Ranger IPA. I have noticed, however, so many of the beer monickers are, well, on the negative side, with words like “bomb” or “F-” . Surely it does provide for a release of sorts and I’m not complaining, I’m just saying, where’s the positivity?
It ends up, in a world of pandemics, both of biological virus and that of racial injustice and inequity, there is quite a bit, but you need to look for it. I am hopeful with the release of the Black is Beautiful craft beer industry collaboration, See earlier post on Black is Beautiful. And the are many companies contributing to solve for our viral nemesis COVID-19. For instance, Eliqs of California has custom Fight Against COVID-19 beverages, and for each case, they donate the profits to the WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund.
So for today’s testing I chose beers that express positivity, hope, and believing in things, even unicorns, and we start with the The Optimist.
The Optimist
The name of this IPA, The Optimist, is the inspiration for this post.
Philosophically, an optimist is defined as a person who believes that this world is the best of all possible worlds or that good must ultimately prevail over evil.
Fort George produces this amazingly full and fresh IPA. The Brewery located in Astoria, Oregon.
Hops used are Centennial, Mosaic. And malts used are: Organic 2-Row, Flaked Corn, C-15 Yeast: London ESB. This IPA is available all year round and floats a 6.2% ABV.
Testing for this beer landed under 5ppm, so a negative result. There was no red line above the T and clear lines above O & C. If you would like to read more about the kits and reading results, see the Testing Kits page.
I drank this IPA and have to say, it is one of my favorites to date. Flavorful and juicy, great for summer. See other reviews on UNTAPPD.
Rainbows and Unicorns
Rainbows & Unicorns. Sounds magical. For centuries rainbows, while a fairly common meteorological phenomenon, have been regarded as a sign of hope and light. It is the adopted color scheme to show solidarity for the LGBTQ community.
This IPA, with a 5.1% ABV, is produced by Breakside, an employee-owned Brewery, which has 3 locations in Oregon. Distribution is fairly broad, so you should have a good chance of scoring this in your neck of the woods. It covers Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Massachusetts, and Northern California.
The tasing notes also sounds delightful, made with flaked rice to lighten the experience, it also sounds perfect for summer. Hops are: Comet, El Dorado, Galaxy. Malts use: Light Crystal, Two Row.
This IPA passes the test at less than 5ppm. It is a lovely, light and refreshing libation. If you are able to drink this without effect, I can recommend this.
Sparkle Horn
Truth be told, I picked Sparkle Horn Ale because of the hopefulness of its magical can art, and the allure of a Sour Ale with Nectarines.
Little Beast Brewing is a small but mighty microbrewery. I came to know them from their Black is Beautiful Cookies and Cream Imperial Stout, which I did test and it did pass. You can find the results here.
While the distribution is fairly local to Portland, OR, if you find it appealing, you can request your local grocery to carry it. If you live in Oregon, Little Beast Brewing will ship to your home via UPS.
Sparkle Horn comes in single pint cans and carries an ABV of 7.0%
I tested this Ale and was disappointed to find that it did not pass the test. The results were very difficult to read, as the red line over the T was very light. So I did not drink this ale, but I gave it to a friend and they raved about it. Tart and a bit sweet, smooth and easy to drink.
I hope you enjoyed a bit of optimism from this post and can carry some of it with you forward. We all need a bit of optimism, and beer is a delightful way to celebrate that.
Header Photo on Visualhunt.com
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