Thanks to the dedication and hard work of the production and packaging teams at Drake’s Brewing, we’re extremely proud to announce the release of Hopocalypse Hazy Double IPA. Once a limited release in 22 oz. bottles, it’s now available year-round in 12 oz cans. Six-packs have been arriving in stores for the past several weeks, and not just in California.
Hopocalypse Hazy Double IPA is also being distributed in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. We’ve been working very closely with Two Roads Brewing in Stratford, CT. Their location and commitment to quality will ensure our fresh hoppy beer is enjoyed by East Coast beer fans. Drake’s beer has never been extensively distributed in these states, making this moment even more celebratory for our independent, family-owned company.
If you’re not familiar with this unique beer, big juicy flavors dominate Hopocalypse Hazy Double IPA. Plentiful amounts of Citra, Idaho #7, and Jarrylo hops add notes of tangerine, papaya, peach, and mango in every sniff and sip. These flavors are supported by a malt bill containing wheat, oats, and rye. Together they add a soft texture, and just a touch of spice to the beer. All of these ingredients, on top of the 8.4% ABV and low bitterness, make this beer a special experience.
It’s an experience our brewing team has been working on for quite some time. While the release of Hopocalypse in cans has been a year in the making, the roots of the beer stretch all the way back to 2013. It started as a promising recipe for a one-off experiment, then evolved over a series of tweaks, name changes, and style trends.
We asked Drake’s brewmaster, John Gillooly, to tell this story. It’s full of twists, turns, and a dose of self-reflecting irony. Gain insight into the creative and decision making process. Once you’re done, head over to the beer finder on our website to locate Hopocalypse Hazy Double IPA near you.
The Origin of Hopocalypse Double IPA
By John Gillooly, Drake’s Brewmaster
In 2013, Drake’s released an unfiltered wheat-based Double IPA called Abominably Jolly (recipe credit to Will Hutchinson). It was a one-off beer we brewed to pair with Jolly Rodger, which in 2013, was an Imperial Black IPA. Since Abominably Jolly was hazy and pale, and released as a complement to a Black DIPA, we referred to it as a “White IPA.”
At the time, White IPAs were kind of a bullshit style. They had been kicking around a bit, and were often brewed with Belgian yeasts and spiced with coriander and/or orange peel. Think of it as a Wit/IPA mash-up, but it really was Drake’s first hazy IPA, and eventually became Hopocalypse Hazy Double IPA.
THE EVOLUTION
The beer went through quite a few twists and turns since then. In 2014, we planned on reviving Abominably Jolly. Unfortunately, another brewer objected to our use of Abominable. We renamed it Abdominably Jolly, but that was a stupid name and we hated it. So we declined to rebrew the beer in the fall of 2015.
However, while preparing for our annual Hopocalypse release in early 2016, we chose to release four different Hopocalypse beers, inspired by the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The old Abominably Jolly recipe was repurposed and called Hopocalypse White label.
Just a quick note here. While these beers were substantially similar to each other during the evolution, we tweaked things every year, particularly the hopping. We often purchase a few boxes, here and there, of special hops that make it into short-run IPAs. On top of the usual hop modifications, 2016 also marked the introduction of rye to the grist of Hopocalypse White Label.
Looking back, I’m amused reading my blog post about Hopocalypse White Label. I talk about the protein haze, palate weight from the raw grains, the low IBUs, and name-check some swanky hop varieties. All of that would be so on point for describing a Northeast Hazy IPA, but we were still calling it a White IPA. It’s kind of wild knowing that we’ve basically been popping out “hazies” since 2013, without, like, realizing it.
A BRIEF RELATED DETOUR
Anyhoo, I digress, but I’m not quite getting back on topic quite yet! In the summer of 2016, we wanted to revisit Hopocalypse White Label, but at a lower ABV to make it more crushable. We started test brewing a White IPA that we named “Hop Vice.” Vice was a play on “Weiss,” which is German for “white.” It kicked around as a taproom special for a few months and had a very good reception, so we bottled our second hazy IPA (if we only knew!), and released it in six-packs. Check out my original blog post for more Hop Vice details.
FAST FORWARD TO THE PRESENT
Ok, so back on the road that led to Hopocalypse Hazy Double IPA. In 2017, Hopocalypse White Label was brewed as a draught-only release, specifically for Hopocalypse Day. In 2018, we went back to putting it in 22oz bottles (RIP) and released it as spring seasonal, following Hopocalypse Double IPA (Green Label). Finally, in 2018, we realized that White Label should really be called a Hazy Double IPA. So enjoy a fresh pint or 12 oz. can of Hopocalypse Hazy Double IPA. Its roots go all the way back to a 2013 one-off beer, well before we had ever heard of a hazy IPA.
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