Beer #374 - W/C 18 April 2022
BREWERY // Auckland based Small Gods is dedicated to collaborative, historical and experimental brewing. Named in honour of the yeasts who make the beer and also to honour the inimitable Terry Pratchett. The Small Gods team (Beer Jerk's Luke & Matt) aim to keep history alive by bringing ancient beer styles and fascinating legends to life with a modern twist. Their approach to brewing highlights rare and forgotten styles and also embraces new and experimental techniques and ingredients. Their beers are inspired by interesting stories from history and mythology with the names and themes of the beers showcasing these stories. While they don't yet own a commercial brewery (they contract brew at friends' breweries), their spititual home is The Fridge & Flagon where you'll always find their latest releases.
BEER // Small Gods don't often brew IPAs but when they do, there's a good chance there will be a long and convoluted story behind it including (but not limited to) the history of agriculture, supernatural creatures, extended lagering times and the colours of the New Mexico flag. We definitely don't have space to get into it here so we made a handy video for you to drink along with. Chupacabra is a mash-up between a Mexican Lager and a classic WCIPA - the maltbill is 70% Pilsner malt and 30% malted corn which makes for a light and super dry base for the heavy hopping. It was fermented with Mexican Lager yeast and cold conditioned for 6 weeks. This Cold IPA style was invented by a brewer called Kevin Davey who wanted to create a beer that was "more West Coast than West Coast" referring to the classic super hoppy IPAs that heralded the 'craft' wave of modern beer. A Cold IPA has none of the sweetness of a WCIPA which elevated the perceived bitterness and means that the hops sit atop a narrow podium with nothing to hide behind. The hops selected for this beer are from the Neomexicanus group which self-introduced to North America thousands of years ago and have only recently been harnessed by curious brewers.
BREWERY // Small Gods
BEER // Chupacabra
STYLE // Mexican Cold IPA
ORIGIN // Auckland
ABV // 6.7%
TEMPERATURE // Cold from the fridge
FOOD MATCH // Huitlacoche Tacos. Chimichanga. Mexican Flan
VESSEL // IPA Glass