Ambers are red; blueberry sours are blue.<\/p>\n
In February, we drank a lot of brews. <\/p>\n
Some from our \u201cBest New Breweries of 2024.\u201d<\/a><\/p>\n Others from breweries right next door. <\/p>\n We questioned if \u201cDeep Fried Beer\u201d is real<\/a>.<\/p>\n And started a new series called Varsity Brews<\/a>. <\/p>\n We paired our two favorite things\u2014pizza and beer<\/a>. <\/p>\n And we did all of this in the shortest month of the year. <\/p>\n So, without further ado, cheers.<\/p>\n In February, these were our favorite beers. <\/p>\n Los Angeles, LA<\/em><\/p>\n Logo designed by Priscilla Witte<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Benefit Beer<\/strong> \u2013 Last month, we wrote about Hamilton Family Brewery\u2019s benefit beer Beer Hug Beer which raised money for those affected by the devastating Los Angeles wildfires. <\/p>\n Similarly, Common Space reached out to us about an incredible initiative they started called WE LOVE LA<\/a>. The international fundraising collaboration brought together over 180 breweries who committed to donating $200,000* to support those impacted by the LA wildfires. <\/p>\n As we mentioned, almost our entire editorial team lives in NorCal but has family or friends\u2019 families who live in SoCal. With that in mind, we love seeing how breweries have come together to support their communities. <\/p>\n Participating breweries include Alvarado Street, Bottle Logic, Burgeon, Cellador Ales, Cellarmaker, Common Space, Fieldwork, Firestone Walker, Ghost Town, Harland, ISM, Moksa, Monkish, Moonlight, Pizza Port, Sante Adairus, There Does Not Exist, Three Weavers, Westbound & Down, Tripping Animals, Hop Butcher For The World, Burial, Bow & Arrow, Modist, pFriem, and so many more. See the full list here<\/a>. <\/p>\n If you see this beer out in the wild, please buy it and know that one hundred percent of the proceeds go to help the recovery efforts in Los Angeles. <\/p>\n *Figure available at the time of publication.<\/em><\/p>\n Learn More<\/a><\/p>\n Athens, NY<\/em><\/p>\n Photography courtes of Scott Heaney | Untappd<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Smoothie Sour<\/strong> \u2013 The absolute antics at Deep Fried Beers caught the eye of our social media manager Magic Muncie, landing them a spot on our list of \u201cThe Best New Breweries of 2024.\u201d <\/a> \u201cBased in New York, Deep Fried Beers \/ Night School<\/a> is making waves with some of the most hop-saturated IPAs east of the Mississippi,\u201d wrote Muncie. <\/p>\n Currently ranked on Untappd as the eighth highest-rated brewery in the entire state, Deep Fried Beers has produced twenty-six beers since opening and has received 9,965 ratings, earning them an incredible 4.23 average rating on the world\u2019s largest social networking app for beer.<\/p>\n Deep Fried Beers Founder Johnny Osborne may not have actually deep-fried beer yet, but with some of these ginormously hopped IPAs, he has the gumption to probably do it one day. <\/p>\n Beers like Glamorous Damage, with twelve pounds per barrel of Citra and Mosaic, have given Deep Fried Beers its DNA. This imperial hazy still ranks as one of Deep Fried Beers\u2019 highest-rated on Untappd with a 4.38 rating.<\/p>\n But as much as Osborne has become known for his uber IPAs, he feels equally proud of his imperial pastry sours. <\/p>\n For instance, Sour Patchwork 3<\/a>, a mammoth Pi\u00f1a Colada-inspired 8% ABV smoothie sour fruited with over three pounds per gallon of pineapple, lime, and coconut. <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just gigantic, essentially a big old Berliner weisse,\u201d says Osborne, who likes to give those kettle sours to folks who say they don\u2019t like beer. <\/p>\n It\u2019s another favorite of Deep Fried Beers \/ Night School Operations Manager Nathan Gebhard. <\/p>\n \u201cIt is crazy,\u201d he says. \u201cYou\u2019re literally drinking just a plain old Pi\u00f1a Colada smoothie\u2014fresh pineapple and coconut in a beer\u2014but it\u2019s also 8% ABV. How is this happening because it\u2019s so good? It doesn\u2019t make sense!\u201d<\/p>\n While Osborne says this beer is gone, with maybe a few cans still floating around in the wild, keep your eyes peeled for anything Deep Fried Beers releases. Drink one, and you\u2019ll surely jump down the rabbit hole. <\/p>\n And we\u2019ll let you know once Osborne actually deep fries some beer. <\/p>\n READ THE STORY<\/a><\/p>\n Dallas, TX<\/em><\/p>\n Photography courtesy of Vector Brewing<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Lichtenhainer<\/strong> \u2013 Considered a Lichtenheiner, an old-school tart German smoked wheat beer, Moonsmoke starts with a base of pilsner malt and smoked peach and cherry wood from TexMalt, a craft malt house in Fort Worth. \u201cThey have a little smoker out back that they built to smoke five hundred pounds at a time,\u201d explains Vector Brewing Head Brewer Tom\u00e1s Gutierrez, who tank-sours the 3.4% ABV beer until it reaches 3.6 pH. At this point, he reboils everything and adds El Dorado hops in the whirlpool, \u201cjust to get it up to 16 IBUs so it\u2019s not too bitter but offset a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n One of Vector\u2019s quintessential beers, Moonsmoke isn\u2019t a style you see on many breweries\u2019 tap lists, which is just one of the many reasons we named them one of our \u201c11 Best Breweries of 2024.\u201d <\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIn Texas, it\u2019s hot as hell out,\u201d laughs Vector Brewing Founder Craig Bradley. \u201cYou want something light and crushable that has a tart, lemony quality.\u201d<\/p>\n But it\u2019s the smoky character that really reels in people. \u201cWhat the hell did I just drink,\u201d says Bradley, is a refrain he hears quite often. Although smoked beers are foreign to many drinkers, Bradley says when he connects the dots to mezcal or scotch, \u201cit really clicks.\u201d<\/p>\n Those are the moments that make Bradley and Gutierrez the most proud. At Vector, there isn\u2019t one simple, straightforward path. The compass is constantly changing, and they\u2019re simply following whichever way the wind blows.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll avoid more cliches here because that doesn\u2019t feel right at Vector, but suffice it to say that getting lost is half the fun. And they don\u2019t care what anyone else says.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone said if you put a smoked beer on tap, it will sit there for six months, and no one will drink it,\u201d says Bradley. \u201cI call bullshit!\u201d<\/p>\n At Vector, they\u2019re brave enough to make beers outside their comfort zone, so they encourage you to be brave enough to try them. \u201cWe don\u2019t just have nothing but IPAs,\u201d says Bradley. \u201cWe make cool, unique beers that make people go, wow!\u201d<\/p>\n READ THE STORY<\/a><\/p>\n Broussard, LA<\/em><\/p>\n DIPA<\/strong> \u2013 For years, Parish has lived and died by its iconic hazy Ghost in the Machine. It\u2019s one of our favorite beers, so we always pay attention whenever Parish riffs on it. <\/p>\n \u201cImagine if hazy IPAs never made their mark on the beer world,\u201d poses Parish. \u201cWhat if, instead of the hazy DIPA we know today, Ghost in the Machine became a crystal-clear West Coast DIPA?\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s West Coast Ghost. <\/p>\n Parish hits the West-Coastified version of Ghost in the Machine with that same Citra but puts this beer through a longer boil and higher hot-side hopping rates for a crisper, pithier, maltier beer. <\/p>\n \u201cFor a big DIPA, it\u2019s still an easy-drinking beer with a dry, clean finish,\u201d writes Parish in the beer\u2019s Untappd description. \u201cA tribute to the classic IPA roots that set the stage for the hazy revolution while still capturing the bold hop character we love.\u201d <\/p>\n BUY THE BEER<\/a><\/p>\n Berkeley, CA x Torrance, CA<\/em><\/p>\n Photography courtesy of Cellarmaker<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Hazy<\/strong> \u2013 Pizza + beer<\/a>. Is there any better match? When we want both, we head to Cellarmaker in Oakland, where we recently paired up a kickass Kick Routines<\/a> hazy collab with Monkish with a Detroit-style piece. <\/p>\n The Citra T-90s and Cryo along with Nectaron and Centennial have been pushed to their very fruitiest in this beer for a silky, juicy hazy that perfectly cut through the rich oil of a delicata squash and pear pizza and yet complimented its delicate fruitiness. <\/p>\n How did we know what beer to pair with what pizza? We talked to the experts so you don\u2019t have to. Hit the button and read our five-minute (okay, more like ten-minute) guide<\/a>. <\/p>\n READ THE STORY<\/a><\/p>\n Newport, OR<\/em><\/p>\n Imperial Stout<\/strong> \u2013 Aged for nine months in handmade Rolling Thunder Works barrels previously used to age Rogue\u2019s Dead Guy Whiskey, Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout is a true ba-ba-banger. <\/p>\n It\u2019s one of our winter favorites and is now available in our Hop Culture Shop. <\/p>\n BUY THIS BEER<\/a><\/p>\n Munich, Bayern, Germany<\/em><\/p>\n Hefeweizen<\/strong> \u2013 Although one of Munich\u2019s oldest breweries, dating back to 1634, Paulaner has seen much success in the States. Paulaner USA imports brands from four different breweries worldwide, including Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Tsingtao, and Fuller\u2019s Ales. <\/p>\n In the States, you can pretty easily find beers like Paulaner\u2019s M\u00fcnchner Lager, Paulaner Pils, Grapefruit Radler, and Paulaner Hefe-Weizen. <\/p>\n We recently had a chance to try three out of the four and have to say that we\u2019re pretty impressed, especially with the Hefe-Weizen. <\/p>\n Packed full of those banana, bubblegum notes we love in a good, rich hefe, Paulaner\u2019s Hefe-Weizen poured a shiny, silky gold with a fluffy cloud of foam. <\/p>\n We definitely picked up that almost Runts banana-like character, along with a touch of mango and pineapple. This beer has a good amount of zip, so pretty much, as soon as you finish a sip, you\u2019re reaching back for more. <\/p>\n Although nothing can replace going to Munich and getting these beers fresh from the source (which we might just do this year \ud83d\ude09), having these four Paulaner beers on shelves will tide us over until we get overseas. <\/p>\n BUY THIS BEER<\/a><\/p>\n Kalamazoo, MI<\/em><\/p>\n Photography courtesy of Bell\u2019s Brewery<\/p>\n<\/div>\n American IPA<\/strong> \u2013 We\u2019ve been lucky enough to chat with former Bell\u2019s Founder Larry Bell about the entire history of Bell\u2019s Two Hearted<\/a>; it\u2019s an incredible, indelible beer. So when we sat down with the recent awardee of the Sir Geoff Palmer Scholarship for Brewing, Galadriel (Gali) Hernandez, we weren\u2019t too surprised to hear that this beer first got her into craft. <\/p>\n But we were reminded of just how much we love this double IPA. And we got a little thirsty. <\/p>\n So, when we sat down to write the first in our new series, called Varsity Brews, featuring Hernandez, we did it with a Two Hearted in hand. <\/p>\n We encourage you to do the same and read about Hernandez\u2019s childhood domino games, successfully brewing her first spontaneously fermented beer, and how she hopes to mentor other BIPOC brewers.<\/p>\n READ THE STORY<\/a><\/p>\n San Francisco, CA<\/em><\/p>\n Photography courtesy of Fort Point Beer Co.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Non-Alcoholic K\u00f6lsch<\/strong> \u2013 It\u2019s not often that a brewery opens its doors with a flagship k\u00f6lsch, especially when Fort Point Beer Co. Founders Dina Dobkin and Justin Catalana opened the iconic SF brewery in 2014. <\/p>\n But the brewery planted a flag. <\/p>\n So we shouldn\u2019t have been surprised when Fort Point announced its first-ever non-alcoholic beers this past January, anchored by Non-Alcoholic KSA and Non-Alcoholic Villager. <\/p>\n Fort Point took over three years and twenty pilot batches to nail the recipe for NA KSA. But boy, did they nail it. Non-Alcoholic KSA is light and crisp. We find that body is the hardest character to nail in an NA beer, and KSA crushes it. All while maintaining the flavor KSA is known for\u2014slightly citrusy with a light-honied malt backbone. <\/p>\n \u201cOur goal wasn\u2019t to make a great NA beer,\u201d Mike Schnebeck, director of brewing innovation at Fort Point, said in a press release. \u201cWe wanted to make NA beer that tasted like the real thing.\u201d <\/p>\n Throughout Fort Point\u2019s over ten-year history, the brewery has proudly represented the city of San Francisco through alcoholic products. Now, they have an NA brand to carry on the torch. <\/p>\n \u201cSan Francisco has always been a part of our DNA. The city inspires the styles we brew, the stories we tell, and the way our brand looks and feels,\u201d Fort Point Chief Brand Officer Dina Dobkin said in a press release. \u201cWe\u2019re proud to be the only San Francisco-based brewery making non-alcoholic beer in six-packs. We hope NA KSA and NA Villager deliver a sense of nostalgia, whether drinkers are enjoying an old favorite for the first time in years or just enjoying Fort Point in a different way.\u201d<\/p>\n To put everything in perspective, we brought the six-pack to a party of primarily sober friends. These cans disappeared first. <\/p>\n READ THE STORY<\/a><\/p>\n Paso Robles, CA<\/em><\/p>\n Photography courtesy of Firestone Walker Brewing Company<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Shandy \/ Radler<\/strong> \u2013 When Firestone Walker released its first hazy, Mind Haze, in 2019, the beer developed a bit of a psychedelic cult following<\/a>, eventually expanding into Mind Haze Brain Melter and Mind Haze Cosmic Crusher in 2024. <\/p>\n So we were stoked to see Firestone Walker\u2019s next Mind Haze generation hit shelves earlier this year\u2014Mind Haze Rage. <\/p>\n A series of three \u201clemonade-infused turbo radler\u201d beers, Mind Haze Rage \u201cwill set minds wandering into waves of juicy goodness,\u201d according to the Paso Robles-based brewery. <\/p>\n Of course, we had to test this out ourselves. <\/p>\n We can confirm that all three drip with Jolly Rancher-like goodness, evoking what seem to be far-away thoughts of sun, summer, and shandies at the moment. <\/p>\n \u201cMind Haze Rage is an evolution of an age-old style, the radler. Part beer. Part lemonade,\u201d said Firestone Walker Brewmaster Matt Brynildson in a press release. \u201cAs brewers, we\u2019re curious tinkerers, committed to exploring where beer can go next. Mind Haze Rage is our latest result in this pursuit, and we\u2019re thrilled to share it with the world.\u201d<\/p>\n We kept returning to Watermelon Rage the most. Since we don\u2019t often see this flavor in beer, we were a little skeptical that Firestone Walker could nail it. <\/p>\n But Brynildson and his team at Firestone Walker crushed it with an 8% beer that\u2019s deceivingly refreshing, tart, and sweet. <\/p>\n Prepare to have your mind blown. <\/p>\n If you\u2019re looking for a good place to start with Mind Haze, you can\u2019t go wrong with the OG, work up to Cosmic Crusher, and then get ready to Watermelon Rage! <\/p>\nHop Culture\u2019s Top 10 Beers We Drank in February 2025<\/h2>\n
WE LOVE LA \u2013 Common Space Brewery<\/h3>\n
![\"common](\"http:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/common-space-brewery-we-love-la-logo-credit-priscilla-witte-1000x1000-1.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/a><\/p>\nSour Patchwork 3 \u2013 Deep Fried Beers<\/h3>\n
![\"deep](\"http:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/deep-fried-beers-sour-patchwork-3-smoothie-pastry-sour-credit-scott-heaney-untappd-1000x1000-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nMoonsmoke \u2013 Vector Brewing<\/h3>\n
![\"vector](\"http:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/12\/vector-brewing-pint-credit-vector-brewing-1000x1185-1-864x1024.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nWest Coast Ghost \u2013 Parish Brewing Co.<\/h3>\n
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Kick Routines \u2013 Cellarmaker x Monkish<\/h3>\n
![\"cellarmaker](\"http:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/cellarmaker-x-monkish-kick-routines-credit-cellarmaker-1000x750-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nRolling Thunder Imperial Stout \u2013 Rogue Ales<\/h3>\n
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Hefe-Weizen \u2013 Paulaner Brauerei<\/h3>\n
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Two-Hearted \u2013 Bell\u2019s Brewery<\/h3>\n
![\"bell's](\"http:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/bellsbrewery-two-hearted11-1000x670-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nNon-Alcoholic KSA \u2013 Fort Point Beer Co.<\/h3>\n
![\"fort](\"http:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/fort-point-beer-co-non-alcoholic-ksa2-credit-fort-point-beer-co-1000x667-1.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nMind Haze Watermelon Rage \u2013 Firestone Walker Brewing Company<\/h3>\n
![\"firestone](\"http:\/\/www.hopculture.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/firestone-walker-brewing-company-mind-haze-watermelon-rage-lemonade-rage-grapefruit-rage-credit-firestone-walker-brewing-company-1000x667-1.jpg\")
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