Inspired by Blue and Norwegian spruce trees found at Jackie O’s Barrel Ridge Farm, New Growth Summer Spruce Tip IPA is a unique summertime brew you won’t likely forget.
The story of Jackie O’s Brewery began in 2005, when Art Oestrike purchased the downtown Athens staple, O’Hooley’s Irish Pub. He named it after his late mother, Jackie, and turned the space into Jackie O’s Brewery and Pub, with adjoining buildings containing a smaller brewery-style bar and a larger eatery known as The Public House. With the unprecedented talent and ingenuity of brewer, Brad Clark, Jackie O’s became one of the most acclaimed breweries in—and out of—the Buckeye State.
In March 2013, Jackie O’s opened a production facility just a few short miles away where the Jackie O’s team started to package beers into kegs. A canning line was installed a few months later, and crowd-pleasers like Firefly Amber and Chomolungma were packaged into six-pack cans to make their way onto shelves throughout the state.
Aside from the brewery’s five year-around selections, which include Mystic Mama, Hop Ryot and Razz Wheat, Jackie O’s offers four seasonal brews throughout the year. Just in time for summer comes New Growth Summer Spruce Tip IPA, brewed with tips from the Jackie O’s farm and hopped with Centennial and Chinook, unearthing both pine and floral notes throughout.
At 7 percent ABV and 75 IBU, this summer seasonal is quaffable, but still manages to pack a nice punch for fans of hoppy beers. Pine with a fair share of grapefruit citrus dances a jig on the palate with a smack of bitterness that finishes nice and clean.
Jackie O’s New Growth Summer Spruce Tip IPA is available in six-pack cans for $10.99 at select Acme, Giant Eagle and Fishers Foods locations, as well as your finer craft beer stops, such as Mustard Seed, West Point Market, Lizardville and 101 Bottles of Beer on the Wall. This killer summertime offering can also be found on draft at your favorite neighborhood craft-friendly bars.
