CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA — Take a look at this year’s lineup for your favorite summer music festival. You can bet that the diversity of genres and fans attending looks a lot different from when many popular festivals got their start ten to fifteen years ago. Starr Hill Brewery, and craft beer as a whole, have grown and evolved much in the same way since 1999. What was once a bitter hop bomb is now par for the course in the eyes, or mouth, of the typical craft beer drinker. In addition to creating new and award-winning releases in recent years, enhancements have been made to several existing beers including Starr Hill’s flagship brand, Northern Lights IPA.
Starr Hill debuted Northern Lights, its first take on an American-style India Pale Ale, in 2007 when craft beer was just starting to take hold in this country. It quickly became the brewery’s best-selling beer, known for its characteristic hop blend and full-flavored bitterness. While the soul of the original Northern Lights remains, the new recipe creates a more hop-forward IPA that will be enjoyed by both long-time fans and newcomers.
New hop varieties – including Falconer’s Flight, Simcoe and Centennial – have been added to the mix with Columbus and Cascade. Following in the footsteps of recent IPA releases like Reviver and King of Hop, a greater emphasis was placed on dry hopping and the process of hop bursting. This gives Northern Lights fantastic levels of hop flavor and aroma without adding large amounts of bitterness. A simplified malt bill has also created a more harmonious balance for the base while coarser filtration allows for more flavor and aroma throughout.
“All of the enhancements to the liquid are on top of our improved quality control and raw material sourcing. With the high caliber team we have here at Starr Hill, we’re brewing the best beer we’ve ever made,” says Starr Hill’s Brewmaster, Robbie O’Cain. “If you haven’t tasted Starr Hill beers in 2015, you need to give us a try. We bet you’ll taste the difference.”
Jomo Vienna-Style Lager is another Starr Hill brand that has seen recent enhancements to its recipe. Released earlier this year, the new liquid lends to a more malt forward beer. Find Northern Lights IPA, Jomo Vienna-Style Lager and all Starr Hill brands using the Beer Finder on the brewery website.
About
Starr Hill Brewery is an independent, regional craft brewery founded in 1999 in Charlottesville, Virginia. Among the most award-winning craft breweries on the East Coast, Starr Hill has won 21 Great American Beer Festival, World Beer Cup and Great British Beer Festival medals. Starr Hill beer is distributed throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions. Please visit www.StarrHill.com for more information.