The Civil War Meets New England IPAs
Newburgh and Captain Lawrence’s “CaptainBoss” meets some light reading.
Now’s the time to break out those books you’ve always wanted to read or the classics you want to read again. In another life I was a history teacher, so my shelves were always stacked with books. At first, I was obsessed with the American colonies and the Revolution. Gradually, my interests shifted to the 19th Century and I started reading everything I could about the Civil War. Shelby Foote’s “Civil War” Trilogy is an iconic narrative of the war. Clocking in at close to 3,000 pages, it’s definitely a massive undertaking. However, it’s so well-written that the pages fly. This weekend, I’m diving into Volume One. Added bonus to this set? Doubles as a set of weights for my new in-apartment gym!
Bring on the Beer
I’ll be finishing up my last of Newburgh and Captain Lawrence’s “CaptainBoss” collaboration while I leaf through those pages. I trekked up to Newburgh with some of my Captain Lawrence colleagues to help brew it. My contribution? Moral support and finishing off any pesky slices of pizza that were hanging around.
I’ve always enjoyed the spirit of camaraderie that’s throughout the craft beer industry. On tours, I’ll often be asked about the competition between craft breweries and honestly it’s a tough question to answer. Besides squabbling over beers with similar names, there’s generally goodwill throughout the industry. We want each other to succeed, because it’s good for the beer landscape as a whole. If a particular owner is a jerk or a brewer is a primmadonna, chances are everyone will know about it, but it would never be a topic of discussion to guests or the impetus for a marketing campaign.
The only exception would be the breweries who masquerade as craft but are owned by any number of macrobreweries. Blue Point Brewing, Goose Island, Elysian, Blue Moon are some that come to mind. Ultimately, they’re arms of corporations who want to stomp out competition. Innovation and collaboration take a backseat to profits and market share. They’re the ones who will send cease and desist orders instead of gently ribbing each other on social media. If you’re interested in seeing which breweries are actually craft, Michael over at “The Mad Fermentationist” has created a fantastic infographic.
Time to put that soapbox aside. “CaptainBoss” is a New England IPA mashup of Captain Lawrence’s “Powder Dreams” series and Newburgh Brewing’s “MegaBoss.” The base recipe of “MegaBoss” meets a generous hopping with Citra lupulin powder, the use of which is the signature of the “Powder Dreams” beers. The result? Bold pops of lemon, grapefruit and mango with a pleasantly lighter mouthfeel than your run of the mill juice bomb. Proof that scoffing down pizza is a key element in crafting a delicious brew.
‘MegaBoss’ Specifics:
Breweries : Captain Lawrence and Newburgh
Location : Brewed in Newburgh, NY
Style : New England IPA
ABV : 7%
Notable Ingredients : Citra Lupulin Powder (Cryo Hops)
Release Notes : One-off limited release; Part of Newburgh’s “Boss” collaboration series
