On the fourth night of Chanukah, there were hops. Juicy, delicious citra hops. Calgary’s Big Rock Brewery has been hard at work opening new Toronto outposts in Etobicoke and Liberty Village this year. The Liberty Village bottle shop is now open, with plans to open a brewpub in the space well under way.

We love the rooster logo, cause it reminds us of chicken soup. Delicious chicken soup with matzos balls. And clearly by the 4th night of Chanukah, someone should have fed you chicken soup because you’re getting a little pudgy with all the latkes. Citradelic Single Hop IPA will set you back only $2.85 of your precious, hard earned Chanukah gelt at the LCBO. This Yakima Valley inspired west coast IPA clocks in at 6.0% and 67 IBU – perfect to melt away uncle Leo’s questions about what are you going to do with your life this Festivus season. It’s also a good compliment to yesterday’s Boxing Day shopping, if you’re out there playing consumerist as part of the holiday tradition.

Appearance: Amber pour, filtered. Thin, rapidly disappearing cream-coloured head.

Aroma: Very tropical! Mango, guava, pink grapefruit, pineapple. Very juicy, typical of the citra hops profile. Faint pizza crust aroma from the malt.

Taste: More pink grapefruit juice, lime peel, peppercorns, tangerine, and biscuits. Very salivating bitterness.

Aftertaste: Tart and bitter aftertaste.

Suggested food pairing: Serve with fried chicken and potato salad, with a healthy dose of “How is your student loan repayment going? You should buy a house!” on the side.

Overall: Citra hops can do no wrong. As the single hop used in this IPA, it delivers all the juicy refreshing flavour I’ve come to expect. A solid entry. Mazel Tov!

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Shawna O'Flaherty

Shawna is a 30-something Montreal native transplanted to Toronto in 2010. Wine loving, beer sniffing and rum swilling come naturally to her, and she is also a certified Irish whiskey taster. She has hosted beer and cheese pairing events in the past.

Shawna has visited vineyards in 8 countries on 3 continents, and has a knack for finding the hoppiest beers around. A dedicated Booze Hound, Shawna completed the Wine Specialist Certificate at George Brown College in 2018.

She can be found drinking alka-seltzer and coconut water in the morning.

Email: [email protected]

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