Beer of the Week: Flight of the Kiwis

From the Beer Writer: Being in the business of covering the local beer industry, I’ll occasionally be invited to a brewery’s friends-and-family pre-open event. They are always memorable, but there’s one I’ll truly never forget. Not because I was blown away by the concept or décor, or because they had a Ms. Pac-Man machine (though this place did) or because something outrageous occurred. It was something far simpler: this place had a really spectacular beer. The site I’m referring to is My Yard Live Beer Co. (which simply went by My Yard Live back then…I’m so glad they later made it clear they brew) and the beer was this week’s featured liquid: Flight of the Kiwis. While a big fan of hops grown in New Zealand—and the Southern Hemisphere, in general—there are some that only hit my palate right on certain occasions. Funnily enough, my biggest hit-and-miss varietal is most beer-lovers’ favorite of the kiwi hops: Nelson Sauvin. When it’s a good crop year and a brewer has deftly incorporated this white-winey wonder into their IPA (it’s not as common in other styles, though it’s showing up more and more in lagers these days), Nelson is amazing, but when it’s not just so, for me it’s a hard pass. But at the F&F for MYL, this NZ IPA, which leads with NS, was OMG good! I remember where I was standing, who I was with, what we were talking about—everything. It was that impactful! Loaded with tropical-fruit flavors reminiscent of pineapple, papaya and passionfruit along with earthy, grassy notes, I’ve loved the beer since that first sip. I rejoiced when the San Marcos brewpub started canning it last year and I’m excited to share it—and a fun memory—with you this week. 

From the Brewer: “Flight of the Kiwis has proven to be a fan favorite since day one and utilizes all New Zealand Hops. I wanted Nelson Sauvin to be the dominant hop, but it was tricky to not over do it with the notorious fresh-cut-grass and diesel character so infamous with that varietal. So, I balanced it out with the citrus and floral characteristics presented by Motueka and New Zealand Cascade hops. I like to tell myself that it’s a good harmony of Old School meets New School in the IPA world (while still being clear), because I’ve had both self-professed ‘hop heads’ and ‘non-IPA drinkers’ really enjoy this beer. Brewing it on a pub system means my favorite IPA rarely even makes it to the two-month mark, and as the show that inspired the name of this beer once said: ‘How do you think you get to be sold out? Its the small venues. It’s a trick. It’s an old trick.'”—Ben “Shaggy” Blaney, Head Brewer, My Yard Live Beer Co.