Fruitful Life Citrus IPA

• Alcohol Content (by volume): 7.0%
• Starting Gravity (degree plato): 14.5
• Finishing Gravity (degree plato): 2.0
• Bitterness Units (IBU): 65
• Color (SRM): 4.0

• Water: Soft, Cleanly Flavorful, Local
• Malted Grain: Floor-malted Maris Otter & Pilsen, Wheat, Vienna
• Un-malted Grain: Roast Wheat
• Sugar: Japanese Korizato (Rock Candy)
• Hops: Whole Flower Cones – Various Varieties
• Yeast: House Scottish Ale Strain
• Other: Local Daidai & Natsumikan Citrus Fruit (Peels & Juice)

Crafting beer is hard work. So too is farming the land and harvesting its fruit. And so too is painstakingly processing fruit (juice & peels) for use in brewing. As such, all of these things are intrinsically satisfying, even fruitful endeavors. The label depicts the harvesting and peeling and juicing of various citrus fruit. The Japanese kanji in the label literally mean fruitful (豊) and life (命).

Shizuoka prefecture, with its temperate climate, is a wonderful location to grow citrus fruit. One of my favorite local fruits to use in brewing is called Daidai. It’s large like a grapefruit but spicier in aroma and much tarter in flavor. It combines gloriously with bright citrusy hops. In fact, you will find it difficult to discern where the hop character ends and the fruit character begins – they are so symbiotically intertwined. That to me is the telltale sign of a well-made fruited beer. It’s tart and spicily aromatic in a way complementary to the daidai. This marriage of citrusy hops and fresh local citrus fruit is sublime!

“Fruit beers historically have a poor reputation among brewers and beer enthusiasts. They most often are made with off-the-shelf processed fruit extract and are designed to appeal to non-beer drinkers. Not at Baird. We use only whole fruit that is in-season fresh. We subject the fruit to fermentation. We add it to accent and complement the character of an already superb beer; we don’t approach fruit in beer as a gimmick.”