In Beer In The News, Beer Me BC excerpts news from sources around the world of craft beer. Note that the opinions expressed within are those of the original source and not Beer Me BC.
Steamworks Flagship IPA Tap Handle

Capture the Flagship with Steamworks Brewing’s New IPA

Steamworks Flagship IPA Glass and Growlers

When most of us walk into a new brewery there are a few beer styles we tend to expect to see on tap and one among them is usually an IPA.  If a brewery opens without one of these on tap it’s unusual, but if they’ve been around for a while and still don’t have one then we begin to wonder: what are they cooking up?

Steamworks Brewing is in the latter category – a brewery that is well-established in Vancouver, that has won numerous awards over the years, and yet doesn’t have a year-round IPA as a mainstay in its lineup.

Until now with the release of Steamworks’ new Flagship IPA.

Steamworks Flagship IPA Tap Handle

Released on October 16th, 2016 the Flagship is definitely an uncommon IPA to have in a brewery’s core lineup.  Brewed in the north-east style, this IPA is incredibly juicy and deliberately cloudy with a creamy texture.

The Flagship IPA is also the first major release from Julia Hanlon, Steamworks’ head brewer.  Julia and her team have been working on their small pilot brewing system at the Burnaby brewery to come up with different styles for their Weekly One-Offs in the tap room for some time, but this recipe stuck and has now made it to the big time.  That is the goal of brewing small batches on a pilot system, after all: tweaking recipes to find something worthy of being brewed in large batches and consistently.

Steamworks Flagship IPA Glass

The brewery has made numerous IPA-variants over the years:  their Jasmine IPA, Black Angel IPA, and White Angel IPA, to name just three.  But these IPAs are seasonal beers, only released for a limited time at specific times of the year.

Eli Gershkovich, Steamworks’ owner, believes the time is right for the brewery to release an IPA in their lineup that can be more than a seasonal.  Flagship is to be a core brand, remaining on tap and in packaged form year-round.

The Flagship IPA is well-hopped with Mosaic, Galaxy, and Citra hops, imparting a juicy, tropical fruit quality that appeals to beer drinkers of many stripes.  In spite of its 65 IBUs and 6.7% ABV, the Flagship IPA is very drinkable and is surprisingly accessible for an IPA.

Steamworks Brewing Team

Right out of the gate, Eli, Julia, and Justin (pictured above), along with the rest of the brewing team were showered with praise for their new beer.  Flagship stunned the crowd at the 2016 BC Beer Awards winning Gold for North American IPA as well as the coveted Best in Show award.  No small feat for a brand new beer brewed in an uncommon style.  This recognition will certainly help as Steamworks position themselves and their IPA in the marketplace and introduce the public on a large scale to this style of IPA.

Steamworks Flagship IPA Awards

Whether the general public is ready for a northeast IPA as their go-to IPA remains to be seen.  But if the praise from the beer community and the hype surrounding the beer are any indication, Flagship is likely to be a winner.

As part of the beer’s launch, Steamworks is also introducing a contest to win $1,500 cash.  By simply tagging a photo on Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #capturetheflagship, contestants are entered to win the grand prize.  Check out their website for full contest details.

Flagship can be purchased now in six packs of Steamworks bottles at most liquor stores and is also available in their 8 pack tall can mashup.

Steamworks Flagship IPA Coaster

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