So what exactly is a Southeast PA Style IPA?
More than just hype or some new way to make beer and IPAs specifically less beer like this new style subset aims to challenge brewers by restraining them.
This sub style of IPA aims to honor the brewing craft and the tradition of hoppy beers while embracing new hop varieties and modern taste sensibilities.
We set out to make a hoppy beer that is juicy, low in bitterness, soft on the pallet and brimming with tropical and citrus aromas from the finest and most sought after hops from around the world.
While this means we add some high protein content malt to allow for a stable suspension of hop oils in the finished product any haze beyond what we find necessary to achieve this can sometimes have a detrimental effect to flavor, balance and stability in the name of a fleeting visual fetish.
For us this is not something new at all but an evolution of how we make beer here at Funk and also for some of our existing beers NOTHING new at all.
So you want to make a SEPA IPA?
Here’s what you need to know…
Use contemporary hops and processes to achieve highly aromatic and juicy beer WITHOUT the use of the following ingredients:
- Unmalted Barley
- Unmalted Wheat
- Any other Unmalted grains or flour
- Oats of any kind
- Nuts
- Lactose
- Fruit
- Spices
- Vanilla
- Any natural or artificial flavoring
- No chemical haze inducers
The resulting beer should range from slightly cloudy to hazy. Malted wheat or chit malt should be used with restraint and any haze should not result in graininess.
Why do we call it a Southeast PA IPA?
Because we believe SEPA to be an absolutely world class beer region with a brewing history and culture unparalleled in North America. We have a connection to this place and we wish to grow our brand and vision alongside the rapid transformation and growth this region is about to undertake. We hope us putting our little flag on this corner of the beer world will help us and others remember our roots and spread the word of finely crafted beer that is made as simply as possible using the least amount of ingredients.
This doesn’t mean we won’t continue to make beers with the unmalted barley, oats, fruit or other wacky ass things in it but we always want to offer the choice of simple, honest and delicious hoppy beers made in a simple and honest way.
In simple terms…
An aromatic, low bitterness IPA made only with malted barley, malted wheat, hops, water and yeast.