Robin Shepard
“I guess if you’re going to make something with flowers you better give it some oomph,” says brewmaster Scott Manning of Vintage Brewing. He’s just released his Bouquet Pink IPA in honor of Mother’s Day. True to its name, it’s a garland of flowery notes and an actual pinkish color, with a hoppy accent.
What is it? Bouquet Pink IPA from Vintage Brewing Company.
Style: The India Pale Ale (IPA) is about hops, which lend herbal, citrus, piney and bitter character to both aroma and flavor. IPAs are medium-bodied and most often golden- to copper-colored. They range from 5.5 percent to 7.5 percent ABV.
Background: “What sounds like a jumbled mess is actually a wonderfully aromatic, intriguingly-complex-yet-balanced American-style IPA,” says Manning. The beer is made with a half-dozen types of flowers (eight if you count the two primary hops, as hop cones are actually flowers). Manning’s recipe includes elderflower, meadowsweet, chamomile, rose hips and hibiscus. Hibiscus gets most of the credit for the beer’s ruby body and pink frothy head. It’s hopped with Galaxy and Citra.
“To make a flower IPA, you have to allow the flowers to come through and not lose the soul of the IPA,” Manning says. The challenge is finding a balance between the bitter and citrus contributions of the hops and the sweeter qualities of the flowers. Bouquet Pink IPA is a complex beer. “I have a hard time myself distinguishing between the hops and the flowers and which one is doing what,” says Manning.
Vintage has a reputation for serving unusual beers among its core lineup of IPAs, porters, stouts, various Belgian styles and an occasional lager. Fans of Vintage may remember one of Manning’s early forays into flowers back in 2011 when he introduced hibiscus saison as a summer seasonal. However, Bouquet Pink IPA takes flower beer to another level.
This is the third time Manning has made Bouquet Pink. This year’s version backs off the malt bill, increases the hibiscus for greater color and lowers the amount of lavender sweetness. Then Manning adds Galaxy and Citra hops, which give hints of orange and grapefruit among the flowers.
Bouquet Pink IPA finishes at 7.2 percent ABV. It sells at Vintage for $5.75/glass, $8.00/crowler and $14/growler (refill). The beer can also be found at several of the Food Fight restaurants in the Madison area. Vintage and Food Fight have teamed up to dedicate $1 from every glass to the Susan G. Komen of Wisconsin breast cancer foundation. Later this summer the beer is expected to be more widely distributed in Milwaukee and the Fox Valley.
Tasting notes:
- Aroma: The lavender hits the nose right away.
- Appearance: Deep reddish-ruby body. A thick, bubbly pink head.
- Texture: Light- to medium bodied, with roundness throughout. A dryness comes in the finish.
- Taste: The lavender nose accentuates the floral sweetness of rose hips and herbal chamomile. There are sweet, earthy, lightly musty floral notes from the elderflowers and meadowsweet.
- Finish/Aftertaste: While all the floral character lingers, the hops add a touch of grapefruit dryness in the finish.
Glassware: I prefer the tulip glass which calls attention to the vivid ruby body while supporting the bubbly pink head as it expands under the nose.
Pairs well with: grilled chicken. This beer goes with poultry much as common cooking spices used with chicken do (rosemary, dill and other herbs). However, there are so many layers of aroma and flavor in this beer, it’s best to enjoy several sips on its own, just to see what flowers you can pick out.
The Verdict: It took me a few sips to get beyond the thought that I was drinking a pink beer, and a pink IPA, for that matter. But these seemingly contradictory images are a reason I like this beer. It’s sweet and hoppy, delicate reddish-pink and yet strong at 7.2 percent. Perhaps fitting for a beer raising funds to take on cancer.
Bouquet Pink IPA really is a masterful creation. I suggest drinking it very cold, which helps blend the sweet herbal notes of the flowers with the sharper hop flavors. I don’t see myself drinking pint after pint, but this beer is well-suited as a summer seasonal and a great option for something different as the weather warms up.
