Beer of the Week: Field Trip

Any day of the year, you can fire up Google and find out what “holiday” it is. Today, for instance, is Purple Heart Day, National Lighthouse Day, National Water Balloon Day, National Raspberries n’ Cream Day, National Beach Party Day and National Sea Serpent Day. The last two are rather paradoxical, but that’s OK because, with the exception of honoring U.S. military members who’ve sustained injuries defending our country, it’s all pretty inane. But wait, what’s this? Today is also…International Beer Day?! And yesterday was…National IPA Day?! OK, maybe there is something to these pseudo-holidays after all. While I may still be on the fence (but climbing off on the side where they’re serving all the celebratory beer), the team at San Diego’s longest-operating craft concern, Karl Strauss Brewing, bought in a long time ago and spent last month working with award-winning Berkeley-based Fieldwork Brewing to come up with something special for yesterday’s Día de los IPA. It goes by the name Field Trip and it’s this week’s featured beer. A hazy that’s opaque almost to the degree of a foggy New England-brewed IPA, this collaborative creation features a downright intense bouquet flush with aromas of navel orange, passionfruit and pineapple. On the palate, tropicality hits first, followed by lingering notes of orange pith. It’s the juicy, fruity experience one looks for in a hazy IPA, with just enough hop bitterness to keep this Field Trip from journeying into saccharine territory. If you missed National IPA Day, that’s a bummer, but in San Diego everyday is IPA Day. And any day is a good one to pop the top on this collab from two noteworthy breweries that know a thing or two about designing a high-quality hazy.

Since day one, Karl Strauss has believed that great beer comes from being willing to try something new. That’s exactly what this collaboration represents. Fieldwork Brewing brought a fresh perspective, we brought ours, and together we created a hazy IPA that’s packed with bold hop character while staying incredibly approachable. It has everything I love in a modern IPA: big tropical aromas, layers of citrus and berry, and a soft, smooth finish. Collaborations like this remind us that the best beers aren’t made in isolation; they’re made when passionate brewers come together with an open mind and a shared love for the craft.”

Paul Segura, Brewmaster, Karl Strauss Brewing

Karl Strauss Brewing is located at 1157 Columbia Street in downtown San Diego, 9675 Scranton Road in Sorrento Mesa, 5801 Armada Drive in Carlsbad and 10448 Reserve Drive in San Diego’s 4S Ranch community