“That’s interesting, why’s it called Blue Steel?”
“Because it uses blue corn malt”
"Ah, of course."
So goes the dialogue in my head on picking up a can of TWØBAYS Brewing’s speciality release. It makes for the country’s first cold IPAs and while it might be a little late to the trend, I think we can let them pass for two main reasons. First, it takes a lot of work to design a gluten-free recipe for a new style and secondly, my personal belief is that the cold IPA trend should stick around.
Beyond both blue corn and yellow malt, the base is built on Vienna millet, Cara millet and biscuit rice while the hoppy mix is Cascade, Cashmere, Strata, HBC 586. With a light, crispy and dry base, the cold IPA's leads with a heavy mix of tropical fruits where sweet mango and papaya taste like a mix of fresh fruit and lollies. Joining in is a touch of bubblegum that's then rounded out by a slight pine and lime. It might be thanks to the citrus finish, the name, the blue can or the malts but if you wanted to have a lovely afternoon, this beer with a big bowl of blue corn chips and salsa would certainly be a way to go about it.
Will Ziebell
Published October 26, 2023 2023-10-26 00:00:00
