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We are excited to announce the launch of our latest addition to the Space Hopper Collection: Space Hopper, West Coast Edition. The development of this limited edition beer is rooted in the popularity and success of our iconic Space Hopper Double IPA.
Inspired by the laid-back, sun-soaked vibe of the West Coast, Space Hopper, West Coast Edition brings a touch of California cool to our communities favourite Fresh Beer. Whether you're a seasoned IPA enthusiast or just starting to explore the world of Fresh Beer, we're confident you'll love this new addition to the Space Hopper Universe.
We'll take a closer look at the story behind Space Hopper, West Coast Edition, including its origins, ingredients, and its delicious taste. So, grab a cold one and let's get started! Make sure you read to the bottom to see how we sent Space Hopper into space… 🚀
DIPA characteristics
Space Hopper, West Coast Edition joins Space Hopper and Big DIPA in Pinter’s collection of Double and Double Dry Hopped (DDH) IPAs. DIPAs originated in the United States. They are characterised by their high alcohol content, ranging from 7-10% ABV, and their intense hop flavour and aroma.
Double IPAs are brewed using more hops than regular IPAs, which gives them a strong flavour and a pronounced hop aroma. The extra hops also help to balance the beer's high alcohol content and provide a long, lingering finish. Our DIPAs are golden and slightly fruity and are enjoyed by beer lovers who appreciate bold, hoppy flavours.
We’re particularly excited about this new limited Fresh Beer as it’s inspired by our community's favourite beer: Space Hopper. It’s also a special beer launch to go alongside the release of Pinter 3.
Flavour Explorers
We know our community loves Space Hopper and Big DIPA and we want to exceed their expectations. Fresh Brewers trying Space Hopper, West Coast Edition should recognise the subtle background notes of peach, pineapple and orange from Space Hopper and Big DIPA.
The West Coast flair from Centennial, Simcoe and Amarillo hops brings a punchy piney and floral flavour, blending nicely with the high bitterness and slight residual sweetness from the fruits. This is overall a dry, crisp, hoppy, boozy delight.
Izzy’s Rundown on Space Hopper, West Coast Edition DIPA
We sat down with Izzy, Innovation Brewer at Pinter to talk about Space Hopper, West Coast Edition and the process behind developing a new recipe.
What gave you the idea to create Space Hopper, West Coast Edition?
“The West Coast IPA is a pretty iconic style which we’d been wanting to develop for a while. Space Hopper is a bold beer in itself, so lends itself really well to having the potent hop blend that West Coast IPAs need, layered on top. We wanted something special to release alongside Pinter 3, and adding another beer to the Space Hopper family felt right!”
What did you and the Brewing Development team enjoy most about the process?
“Market research…haha. But also, it was a great moment going to try it once it had been blended and brewed at our blending partner, Bevie for the first time. Their recipe developer loves West Coasts, so she’d had a sneaky taste that morning before we arrived and she was so excited about it. It’s such a satisfying moment to taste it in its complete and finished form for the first time and it tastes good.”
How do you go about developing a new recipe?
“First, we [the Brewing Development team] sit down with Operations, Marketing, and all the relevant departments and pitch the idea to them. We can get a bit overexcited about the beers, so we need the other departments to keep us grounded and make sure the style will work logistically, seasonally, etc.
Once confirmed, we’ll do some market research…aka drink a lot of the beer. We’ll sit down and discuss the key characteristics of the style in general, and then more specifically which ones we want to define our version of the beer. For example, early West Coast IPAs were pale golden to straw in colour but over the years a more amber in colour and sweeter in flavour malt bill has become common.
Which did we want in our own beer? Which hops do we want to emphasise?
Once we’ve decided on the direction for our recipe, I’ll write up the first trials which normally focus on hitting data targets; Original Gravity (OG), Final Gravity (FG), European Brewery Convention (EBC), International Bitterness Unit (IBU) etc.
We’ll keep brewing up trials to hone in on desired sensory characteristics until we’re happy. Then we’ll send the recipe off to our blending partner and they’ll brew it up in Liverpool, we’ll taste it, hopefully, sign it off for blending. After this, we hand the recipes over to Marketing and Operations who take it from there and sort out quantities, naming, etc.”
An out-of-this-world beer launch
Without going on too much about how much our community loves Space Hopper, the consensus is that it is delicious and easy to drink, tastes incredible, and is crisp and refined.
The launch of Space Hopper, back in 2021, was truly out of this world! To celebrate the release of our highest ABV beer yet, we decided to go where no beer has gone before - space! Yes, you read that right. Our launch video showed Space Hopper being launched into the atmosphere on a weather balloon, reaching a height of over 100,000 feet. This one-of-a-kind experience was a fitting tribute to the highest ABV beer we had ever released with a robust 7% ABV that's sure to please even the most discerning craft beer enthusiasts.
Check out the video below
Don't wait, order now (while stocks last) and taste the cosmic flavour of Space Hopper, West Coast Edition. You won't be disappointed!
FRESH PRESS & BUNDLES
Space Hopper, West Coast Edition DDH IPA
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