By the Beer Professor JW Faulkner @EngProfJW
I am currently enjoying a week of baseball and golf in Florida while on Spring Break. Yes, Beer Professors take Spring Break trips too! And what Spring Break trip for the Beer Professor would be complete without stopping at a brewery or two, or four? The final stop on my Florida brewery excursion is Cigar City Brewery, arguably the best in Florida. Their IPA is one of my all-time favorites. This weekend Cigar City Brewery’s Jai Alai IPA is What’s on Tap!
Located in Tampa Bay, Cigar City brews an awesome array of IPAs, pale ales, and the beer in their Humidor Series are also a must to try. But their flagship brew, Jai Alai IPA, is consistently one of the best IPAs on the market. What makes Jai Alai such a good IPA is its balance between the citrus and hops. Upfront you taste the citrus, with a hint of bitterness, and then you taste the hops on the backend. With each sip there is also an understated sweetness which makes Jai Alai that much more enjoyable. What strikes me most about Jai Alai is its incredible drinkability, I almost find it hard to believe there’s 7.5% ABV! The alcohol is well hidden, the flavors are paired well, and nothing is too overpowering; in short Jai Alai is an awesome beer!
I am paring Jai Alai with grilled blackened grouper. The spiciness of the blackened seasoning and light moist flavor of the fish already pairs well but then add the citrus hop flavor of Jai Alai and you have a perfect spring / summer meal. This weekend let’s crack open some Jai Alai’s and toast to winter’s end, the start of spring, and to a great IPA! Cheers!
Beer Stats
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 7.5
IBUs: 70
Original Gravity: 18
Color: Golden
SRM: 10
