Beer of the Week: New Day

From the Beer Writer: In life there is but one constant: change. Over time, anything built to last adapts and evolves, either in reaction to outside stimuli and environmental conditions or self-reflective decisions. This is especially true of businesses and their associated brands. Even the most perceivably staid companies have made countless adjustments over their years in business, both to remain relevant and align with an ever-changing world. Most are tweaks that go unreported and unseen by consumers, but sometimes a business goes all in, making sweeping changes to its brand, messaging and mission. Such is the case with Second Chance Beer Co. When this Carmel Mountain Ranch-based concern opened in 2015, it did so with a thematic based on reclaimed materials given a “second chance” similar to the one co-founding Brewmaster Marty Mendiola afforded himself by starting his own business after a decade-and-a-half heading national brewpub chain Rock Bottom’s La Jolla location. But over the past year, ownership has massaged the meaning of its name, applying it to the practice of giving shelter dogs a new lease on life, partnering with organizations like Pacific Beach’s Second Chance Dog Rescue and The Animal Pad to help find such four-legged friends their forever homes. The brewery has also transitioned to dog-inspired beer names and packaging design. In April, Second Chance (which now describes itself as “a dog-friendly brewery” and a “dog-first, beer-second” brewery) canned a lager called “Buddy” with the portrait of a dog front-and-center on the can. Meanwhile, the silhouette of a pup against a rising sun adorns the packaging for this week’s featured beer, New Day IPA. Featuring a modern hop-bill, medium body and finish much drier than the former flagship beer its replacing (Seize the IPA), this West Coast IPA’s transitionary nature matches that of the company that brews it. Citrus, tropical and stone fruit flavors come on strong and tantalizing before ceding territory to a restrainedly resinous finish, refreshing one’s palate for the next sip. This beer’s no dog, but like the canines at Second Chance’s adoption events, it’s a keeper.

From the Brewer: “New Day IPA is our new full-time, core IPA produced here at Second Chance. It is the culmination of many years of brewing IPAs, trying different hop-combinations and different methods of dry-hopping, to figure out the best combos and methods. With new hops coming on the market the last few years, we have blended in a couple of new hops that impart modern, progressive flavors. We now use some old-school hops, Cascade and Chinook, with some middle-school hops, Citra and Mosaic, combined with new-school hops, Talus and Ekuanot. This combo gives the citrus-peel and piney flavors we all love in a West Coast IPA and bumps it up with some mango and peach flavors. We are thrilled with this new flavor-combination and very happy with our results. We know you’ll love it, too!”–Marty Mendiola, Co-founder & Brewmaster, Second Chance Beer Co.