Beer Parched Brave New World Hazy IPA & Creaming Soda Vanilla Milkshake IPA

Brave New World and Creaming Soda are two sides of the same coin.

Most of the beers that come through the tanks at Parched sit in the 4 to 5 percent ABV range, and Brave New World teeters at the top end of that. That just about sits it in hazy pale ale territory, but the wallop of juicy hop character it brings lends itself to the IPA name. With two parts Citra to one part Zappa and one part Idaho 7, it’s unsurprising there’s a heavy citrus element in this beer. But it ain’t one-dimensional: a dash of pineapple and mango find their home here as well, all followed up by a zesty bitterness.

Creaming Soda is a version of Brave New World with lactose and vanilla added into the mix. While it’s been dubbed a vanilla milkshake IPA, expect the added ingredients to bring a balancing factor rather than a sickly sweetness. The same hop combination plays itself out slightly differently in Creaming Soda than it does in Brave New World, with the sweetness of the lactose bringing out more pineapple and stonefruit. The fruit juice character gives way to a creamy character that leads the way for the vanilla to show itself, but again, it remains secondary – the sidekick to the hop heroes. There’s even a bitterness in the finish to keep you firmly grounded in beer territory.

Mick Wüst