Beer of the Week: P.O.G. Session Hazy

Speaking from experience, Fourth of July cookouts, picnics and other lengthy celebrations of our nation’s independence can present quite the conundrum for certain types of craft-beer lovers. There are plenty of people who love well-made pale and light lagers, myself included, but for me the thought of subsiding on them for hours on end sounds a bit dull. At some point I know I’m going to want something with a little more flavor and likely some hop bite. But if I bust out standard-strength IPAs I’m going to have a problem. They’re simply too high in alcohol for me to not go over to the dark side by the time the rockets start showing off their radiant red glare against the night sky. So what’s left? A dip in a cooler filled with sweet, flabby American adjunct lagers and cans of hard seltzer painted in every color of the rainbow? Thanks but no thanks. When it comes to all-day Independence Day revelry, I prefer session IPAs. It’s been over a decade since this style first burst on the scene, but the purpose session IPAs serve – providing poignant hop aroma and flavor at a low alcohol point – is timeless. Enter this week’s featured beer, P.O.G. Session Hazy. Brought to you by Solana Beach-based Culture Brewing, this 5% (alcohol-by-volume) number goes beyond most session-grade IPAs, adding both haze and a Hawaiian-inspired fruit medley – passionfruit, orange and guava – to the mix. The result is a modern creation blending the flavors of a summery cocktail with familiar, subtly tropical hop character followed by a finish reminiscent of Fruit Loops. Thirst-quenching and fun to share, this P.O.G IPA. is A-OK!

This beer is an seasonal summer classic for Culture Brewing. There is no other brew our regulars request more every summer ‒ when the sun finally starts coming out in July ‒ than the POG Session Hazy IPA. This bad boy finishes at a chilled out 5% alcohol-by-volume, perfect for breezing through two while you sit and enjoy the sunshine. Vibrant, tropical coastal notes of passion fruit, blood orange and pink guava balance out the subtle Sabro, Cascade and Nugget hop profile to create a refreshing summer taste without being overly sweet.”

Jason Smith, Head Brewer, Culture Brewing

Culture Brewing is located at 111 South Cedros Avenue in Solana Beach, and 629 South Coast Highway 101 in Encinitas