Beer of the Week: Ukulele Quartet

From the Beer Writer: While brewers obviously love beer, spoiler alert, most enjoy drinking all sorts of alcoholic beverages and regularly dabble in the spirit world. After-work cocktails have led to a great many tipple-inspired beers over the years, especially since kettle-sours and niche IPAs such as hazies and milkshakes have become so popular among craft-beer enthusiasts. Those brighter styles are ideal for conveying a multitude of fruity, nutty flavors and aromas that would be masked by the maltiness or bitterness of dark beers or traditional IPAs. Imitating a cocktail in beer form can be very difficult, but this week’s featured beer, a hazy IPA called Ukulele Quartet, is one of the most successful attempts I’ve come across. Crafted by North Park’s The Original 40 Brewing, it combines natural fruit purées with tropical and, in the case of Sabro, coconutty hops, almonds and a pair of mixology staples—rose and orange-blossom waters—to bring every element of this classic rum drink into the fold. Pineapple, lime and coconut are at the forefront with the other flavors coming in mid-palate. But one of the most impressive aspects of the beer is how the hop bitterness in its finish mimics alcohol burn. Beers based on beachy drinks, particularly those of the POG (passionfruit, orange, guava) variety, usually come across as fruit juice, but the bit of burn on the backend of Ukulele Quartet goes a long way to completing the illusion of a actual cocktail. Bottoms up!

From the Brewer: “When we set out to make a fruited IPA, the team wanted to take the opportunity to have fun and dive a bit deeper than a simple hop-and-fruit marriage. The Mai Tai cocktail was voted our inspiration, and we set off to explore the history and flavors of the drink by, well, drinking a few. After that, we started with a medium-bodied hazy IPA base recipe, then added pineapple, orange and lime during fermentation. Cashmere, Azacca and Sabro provide a sweet tropical aroma and flavor base while keeping the bitterness subdued. Once the fruit and hops had melded and created harmony with the juice yeast, we added the more subtle and savory flavors that provide the authentic Mai Tai experience. Almond, orange-blossom water and rose water blend to contribute the orgeat aspect of the flavor profile, providing bitterness, creaminess and floral notes. Ukulele Quartet looks like a Mai Tai in the glass and brings all the classic flavors and aromas, but with a lighter body and hop balance so you can drink a few pints.”—Cosimo Sorrentino, Head Brewer, The Original 40 Brewing