Coastal Brew Day Blog

BELGIAN TRIPEL   Trappist breweries have been producing beer for centuries. Abbey Ales, Dubbels, Golden Ales, and Belgian Strong Ales are staples of many ancient breweries, and the Tripel is quickly becoming another classic beer to add to the list. Very new for the region from which it derives, the Tripel was developed in 1934. The brewery at Westmalle Abbey, outside of Antwerp, Belgium, began making its first batches of beer in 1836, but it wasn't for nearly 100 years that they developed their game changer. At 9.5% ABV, the Tripel was bigger and stronger than many of the other Trappist beers that were in production at the time. Legend has it that the monks at Westmalle brewed the Tripel to complete their "Holy Trinity" of beers: Single (5%), Dubbel (7%), and Tripel (9.5%). When demand grew for the Tripel, Westmalle had to adapt the recipe to fit the needs of the people, and that is the beer that is still in available today. Westmalle Tripel is considered the gold standar...

New England IPA  The New England IPA. A hazy, juicy, tropical brew whose profile would never be confused with the flavors or general perception of the region it's named after. The New England IPA, or NEIPA, was developed fairly recently, only gaining certification as an actual beer style by the BJCP in 2015. The first version of the NEIPA is Heady Topper from The Alchemist in Waterbury, Vermont. It's unique profile quickly gained popularity and breweries across the region scrambled to make their own version.  Eventually, the NEIPA style evolved into a style of beer distinct from the bitter IPAs of previous generations. The heavily hopped West Coast styles and more balanced East Coast IPAs were trampled by the uniquely flavorful upstart from New England. Hazy and heavily dry hopped, the NEIPA relied on hips not for the bitter punch beer drinkers were accustomed to, but rather a delicate, citrus forward profile that hadn't been explored with great depth before.  These days,...