Healdsburg...Pumping Out Great IPAs and Doughnut Muffins

Wine Country in California is usually thought of for, well...wine.  However, some of the best beer in the world is being produced in this region, particularly when it comes to American IPAs (India Pale Ale).  These big, intense beers, also called West Coast IPAs, are exploding with in-your-face citrus, flower, and/or pine, all with a great bittering quality not suited for the faint of heart.

Healdsburg, located along US Highway 101 in the center of Sonoma County is home to Bear Republic Brewing Company.  I was actually in Healdsburg one summer afternoon in 2010 for a stop on an awesome West Coast adventure with my great friend, Blair.  However, I wasn't quite the crazed beer enthusiast back then as I am now, so the trip didn't include and brewery stops; don't get me wrong, we did have great beer throughout this trip.  Our brief time in Healdsburg did afford us a great lunch at Oakville Grocery followed by a snack at Downtown Bakery & Creamery, the buttery, cinnamon sugar covered treat shown below in Blair's lap.

Wait, isn't this a beer blog?  Well, yes, but I just wanted to share some connection to where last night's beer hails from.  Back to Barley's it was, and the selection would be Bear Republic's Racer 5 IPA coming in at an easy-to-drink (at least for me) 7.0% ABV.

With a gloriously golden pour into a standard pint glass, it had a lot of aroma from citrus (grapefruit mostly) and pine.  The taste mainly mirrored the aroma with more citrus, pine, and resin, all with a palate-pleasing bitterness that lingered for just the right amount of time.  Overall, this is a very solid American IPA, and I would probably race to have another.  While probably more for the hopheads amongst us, I would encourage anyone to give these West Coast IPAs a shot.  After all, food and beverage are about flavor, and these beers bring flavor in a big way.

Cheers!