National IPA Day!



You may be asking yourself, "Self. Why is there beer reviews on a cycling blog? Has Big E finally gone around the bend!?"  To answer your question (And it was kind mean. Just sayin'...). No.  But to further extrapolate. Beer is to a Northwest cyclist like wine is to a French one. Or perhaps how beer is also to our Scottish, Irish and Belgium brethren.  It's right up there with espresso (One for before and one for after.)  And because India Pale Ale (IPA) happens to be my favorite type of beer and it's my blog and I can do what I want. I figured I would stand upon my rather small apple crate and shout to the world.

I love IPA!!!!

Okay, now that I've got that out of my system I think I'll throw out there a hand full of my favorites. Just for shits and giggles...



Easily my go to IPA. Very bitter (102 IBU) with lovely floral notes and crisp as a cold stream. Ninkasi also does a lot to support cycling in Oregon. So they are near and dear to my heart. And it's really good too...



HUB Hopworks IPA. made in Portland, Or. (Please note the bike chain on the side of the bottle.) has also does a ton for cycling and is one of the few breweries that I can honestly say that I like all of their beers. The taste is very clean and not so many hops as to knock you on your ass. There is also an Imperial version that's really good.



Gilgamesh Brewery here in Salem, Or. has the Ridgeway IPA and it's excellent. Go ahead and try it. I'll wait... See, I told you.



The "bargain" priced IPA of the bunch. Quite bitter and super tasty.



Pelican Brewery's India Pelican Ale (See what they did there? Hahaha! Love a good play on words...). Probably one of the more subtle IPA's on this list (Next to HUB). But very fine in it's own right.



Dogfish Head Imperial IPA is a beer a friend turned me on too. It's an imperial so its a little on the sweet side but with a lovely hoppy bite.

Well that should do for right now...

Do yourself a favor. Go out on a lovely bike ride. Come home or go to your favorite watering hole and have a nice cold (Sorry European brethren. Can't get on board with warm beer.) beer tonight. And while you're sipping your favorite brew give a little thanks for where you are and what you have.

Cheers!

Rubber side down,

Big E