Hop to It!

Beer: Aprihop

Brewer: Dogfish Head Brewery

Style: American IPA

ABV: 7.00%

Description: Dogfish Head’s Aprihop pours a deep amber orange color with a creamy and slightly off-white head which recedes after some time, leaving behind a very thick lacing. The aroma is extremely inviting, with a lot of juicy fruit tones coming through from the apricots backed by notes of oranges, grapefruit, mango, and pineapple with just a hint of piney hops and sweet malt swirling around. The taste is an absolute juicy explosion of fruits, with the orange and apricot heading the charge backed by the aforementioned fruit flavors before the sweet malt bill washes over and leaves behind a perfectly clean and dry finish. The medium body and moderate carbonation give Aprihop its extremely smooth characteristic and makes for an almost overly enjoyable drinking experience, if that is even possible! Dogfish Head continues to stake their claim as one of the best producers of IPAs in any variation!

Food pairing: Aprihop gives a wide variety of flavors and experiences within each sip, and this makes for a dream pairing with a huge variety of foods, ranging from appetizers to desserts. Try pairing Aprihop with a light and simple salad, preferably one leaning more towards the citrus end of the spectrum, but regardless of your choice, this workhorse beer can handle it all while still treating the salad itself very delicately and not overwhelming the dish. If you are more of a fish fan, try skipping the typical salmon dish and instead opt for the decadent swordfish. The pairing will lead you to never look at this fish the same way again, and the flavors balance perfectly with one another. Looking to end the night on a high note? Try pairing Aprihop with a delicious peach cobbler dish topped with cream; the apricot and peach naturally play well with one another, but the addition of the cream gives an added layer of depth to the beer and melds perfectly with the malt, enhancing the sweetness while the Amarillo hops give a firm backbone, creating a match made in heaven!

The final word: IPAs are certainly one of the most popular beer styles right now, with nearly every craft brewery offering their own interpretation of the style. However, Dogfish Head still holds the crown as one of the best IPA producers with their hugely successful 60, 75, 90, and 120 Minutes IPAs. Dogfish Head is also not a brewery to rest on past accomplishments, though, and is always pushing the boundaries for beer styles and beer in general. Aprihop is certainly a beer that expounds upon the popular American IPA style with a lot of thought going into the ingredients for the beer to achieve the perceived taste and bitterness. The choice of Amarillo hops is genius, with the strong imparting of orange flavors coming through from the hops, blending into the apricot juice to create an extremely juicy and fruity IPA that is still very far removed from ever being called a fruit beer. If you are a Dogfish Head fanatic or an IPA lover, this is a beer that must be tried!

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Where can I get it? Currently available in NEPA in 12 oz. bottles at: Backyard Ale House- Scranton, PA; J & H Beer- Plains Twp, PA.; Exit 190 Beer Deli- Dickson City, PA; and Krugel’s Georgetown Deli & Beer- Wilkes-Barre, PA. For a more detailed look at where Aprihop is available check here