The Drop on the Hops: SpindleTap and Parish Collab with DOA for Operation Juice Drop IPA
Bad things have the unique ability of bringing out the best in people. It may also bring out the best beer in brewers, but that’s not really a thing. Yet.
We are proud to announce that we will be collaborating with Parish Brewing Co. and Drink of Ages to produce a beer that will be called Operation Juice Drop. All proceeds will go to the victims of the devastating floods from Hurricane Harvey. More details to come.
Well that escalated quickly… On August 22, 2017, right before before hurricane Harvey ravaged our city, Jon Denman of Drink of Ages Pub (DOA) joined Brody Chapman, Garrison Mathis and a few others from SpindleTap on a little trip out to Broussard, Louisiana to visit Parish Brewing Co.
Parish has a cult following, and is known for making some of the best IPAs in the South (and even the country depending on who you ask). Bloom, Envie, and Ghost in the Machine are just a few trade bait brews that have put the name Parish on every beer nerd’s wish list.
The trip on the 25th began as nothing more than great people getting together for great beer, although many people whispered posted rumors of the beginnings of a SpindleTap and Parish collab.
Our very own Sam heads out to Broussard seemingly every couple of weeks to grab some of their famed IPAs, as he’s an avid trader. Always wanting to share Houston beer, he brought along some Houston Haze to share with the guys at Parish, and they were impressed to say the least.
At SpindleTap’s Juice Fest (release of Houston Haze Batch 5, Juiceton and Hops Drop, Brody invited Sam to tagalong for the original meet up because of his role in the introduction, but he wasn’t able to get out of work on such short notice. (Actually he was, but then the date had to be moved, and he couldn’t swing it the second time.) He’s still not too happy about that. Just ask him next time you see him. 😂
Fast forward a few days to when Harvey hit, and two breweries well known for their IPAs rush from a (rumored) courting phase right into a collaboration. Operation Juice Drop IPA.
Knowing that you guys like to hear the stories behind the beer, we wanted to give you the drop on the hops for the upcoming SpindleTap and Parish Collab.
We asked Garrison and Jon a few questions, and they more than happy to have us share.
Beer Chronicle: Who came up with the name and why?
Garrison: Brody did. Just to highlight the fact that it’s a Juice-bomb/relief beer.
Beer Chronicle: How was it flying on that tiny jet?
Jon: A great way to travel for sure!
BC: Who’s filling what role in the process?
G: We came up with recipe/game plan together, combining our respective techniques for brewing the style. We’re using a combination of both of our hops. Other than it being brewed here in Houston [for obvious reasons] and me being the one to physically brew and cellar it, it was really a collaboration in the truest sense of the word.
Basically, the goal was to make a Houston Haze Ghost in the Machine hybrid.
BC: Combination of both of your hops, eh? Which ones!? 😳
G: Massive amounts of Citra and Motueka (double dry hopped) leading the way, complimented by a few others.
BC: Jon, how do you fit into this SpindleTap and Parish collab, other than owning a badass beer bar that’s gonna serve it up?
J: I wanted to get some Ghost in the Machine! No, I was really along to introduce everyone and talk about when Parish distribution is coming to Texas. Needed to push the Houston market.
BC: IPA/NEIPA, what y’all calling it? Both SpindleTap and Parish seem to prefer IPA.
G: Yeah, we both prefer IPA. Other people are labeling it NEIPA. NEIPA isn’t inaccurate. Just no need to pigeon hole yourself! It’s a TX IPA! TX/LA, rather.
This SpindleTap and Parish Collab is going to be a blessing to a few folks here in town. Both breweries have agreed to donate the profit from all of the beer sold to Harvey relief efforts in Houston.
They’re expecting to raise somewhere in the neighborhood of $200,000 when it’s all said and done.
You should be able to find Operation Juice Drop IPA at SpindleTap brewery on Saturday 9/30/2017, as well as on tap at Hughies, Hop Stop Humble, Flying Saucer, Drink of Ages Pub, and a handful of other great places.
Check out the Facebook events linked above for the SpindleTap and Parish Collab, and keep your ears out for more to come.
Jon added, “I’m going to wait before setting a firm date for the party. There will be one, though. A big one. Between now and then we have a Halfway to St. Patty’s Day party. It’s this Sunday in the parking lot of DOA.”
Outside of big name collabs with Saint Arnold, this may just be the biggest collaboration beer Houston’s seen yet. Don’t miss it. You can also see a bit more about the collab on KHOU 11 News. Skip to 5:30 mark. It gets real shady at that part, and it’s all down hill from there. Beers to you, Houston. 🍻
No Comments