Beer of the Week: Crystal Vision

A few years back, when cold IPAs started making their way onto beer boards across the county, I wasn’t impressed. While some were nice and dry, a lot of them lacked any sort of defined character. Mostly they reminded me of the flabby, over-hopped India pale lagers that preceded them. Also lagered and often brewed with bottom-fermenting yeast, cold IPAs dare to do more than take a pale lager base and apply American IPA-style hop treatments, but rather provide a fine-tuned, light-bodied, extra-dry, aromatically hoppy drinking experience. The problem early on was that not nearly enough brewers came through on that ambition. In fact, I would say the years of struggling to deliver on the promise of the cold IPA (and before that, the brut IPA…remember those…it’s OK if you don’t) speak to how difficult it can be to make high-quality beer. Brewing is more than boiling water, inserting ingredients, pressing some buttons then waiting several days for hungry yeast to burp out some alcohol. It takes work, technique and, in many cases, community. I may have never heard of so many brewers consulting with each other to try to understand a style and improve at its manufacture as I did in relation to cold IPAs. Years later, largely as a result of banding together and sharing techniques that would likely be treated as trade secrets in any other industry, our county’s fermentationists excel at this style. Take as a mighty fine example, this week’s featured beer, Crystal Vision. A cold IPA from Sorrento Valley-based Gravity Heights, it pours a pale color coming in between straw and lemon-yellow, giving off brilliant mango and tangerine aromatics. On the palate, there’s navel orange and pineapple with some lemon-lime action in the finish, all of which shines through thanks to the delicate body Head Brewer Tommy Kreamer has achieved. Cold IPAs weren’t as dialed in as this back in the day, but this beer and other local examples go to show that, not only do San Diego’s brewers have this style down pat, but that earned expertise was well worth the wait.

Crystal Visions is brewed to be a bright, aromatic IPA that delivers notes of ripe tropical fruit and citrus with a touch of pine. A light grist of Pilsner malt and flaked rice keep the drinkability high and allow the hops to do the heavy lifting. Nectaron hops shine with hints of peach and passionfruit, while Mosaic adds a layer of berry and dank complexity. It’s definitely one of my favorite beers, as it strikes that ideal balance between a fruit-forward profile while maintaining a crisp finish. It’s only brewed a few times a year, so be sure to swing by and grab a pint while you can.”

Tommy Kreamer, Head Brewer, Gravity Heights

Gravity Heights is located at 9920 Pacific Heights Boulevard in Sorrento Valley and 525 Camino de la Reina in Mission Valley