When Your Beer Thinks It's a Weather Phenomenon
In the craft beer universe, a place where brewers are the mad scientists and the taprooms their laboratories, we've been graced with yet another concoction that sounds more like a term from your high school geography quiz than a beverage. Introducing Orographic Effect, an 8% Double IPA from Equilibrium Brewery in Collaboration with Outer Range Brewing Rockies. Because, evidently, naming beers after obscure meteorological terms is the new trend we didn't know we needed.
First things first, let's break down what an orographic effect actually is – it's a weather pattern that occurs when an air mass moves up a mountain range, cools and condenses into clouds, leading to precipitation. Now, how this relates to beer is anyone’s guess. Perhaps it's the tears of hop enthusiasts crying with joy, or maybe it's the brewers' attempt to capture the essence of cloud moisture. Whatever the case, one thing's for sure: your beer is now more educated in earth science than you are.
Diving into this beer is akin to embarking on a journey through the great mountain ranges, if those mountains were made of hops and the rivers flowed with alcohol. The Orographic Effect promises a taste as majestic as its namesake, boasting notes of... well, more hops than you could shake a weather vane at. It's a brew so hoppy, it might just start its own ecosystem.
The 8% ABV ensures that not only will you be contemplating the complexities of atmospheric science, but you'll also be doing so with a pleasant buzz. It's the kind of beer that makes you ponder life's great mysteries, like "Why do breweries collaborate?" and "Was there a shortage of normal beer names?"
What does one pair with a beer as complex and lofty as the Orographic Effect? Our top recommendation: a hearty slab of mountain goat cheese, the kind that's as rugged and earthy as the beer itself. And for an optimal dining experience, sprinkle in a bit of confusion over what you're actually drinking.
This beer isn't just a solo effort; it's a collaboration between Equilibrium Brewery and Outer Range Brewing Rockies, because two heads are better than one when it comes to making beer drinkers google scientific terms. This partnership is a testament to the craft beer industry's unyielding commitment to education, one pint at a time.
In the grand scheme of things, Orographic Effect stands as a monument to the boundless creativity (and perhaps unchecked hubris) of the craft beer world. It's a beer that challenges you to broaden your horizons, both intellectually and in terms of palate.
So here's to Orographic Effect, the Double IPA that dares to ask, "What if beer, but also a geography lesson?" May your glasses always be full, and may your weather patterns always favor precipitation of the hoppy kind. Cheers, you intrepid meteorological beer adventurers.
Cheers you, magnificent silly bastards!
