Neomantra’s House Beer

February 8th, 2010

Way back to the time I started brewing I always knew I wanted to have some recipes that I’d put together on my own. I started out making kits to get the hang of things but finally at the urging of a fellow brewer I know (thanks Dave!) I decided in 2010 it was time to break free and start doing my own thing.

So what was the first order of business? Coming up with a “house beer” of course! It’s likely the recipe or maybe even the entire style will change over the years but to start the journey I am mixing one of my long time loves with a new flame.

One of the first things that got me into craft beer was the discovery of some amazing Belgian beers in the corner beer store near my old place in Gaithersburg, MD. As great as they were I must admit that after a while I found myself wishing for those same flavors, but perhaps without the 8% or higher ABV so that it could be more of a “session beer” instead of something you just have one or two of. That lower gravity part seems especially important with a house beer that I plan to keep around on a regular basis.

Back when I first started getting into craft beers I stumbled across some of the hoppy IPA’s and didn’t care too much for them. Perhaps my young and naive taste buds had not yet realized the full glory and greatness of the style. But as time has gone by I’ve teadily been developing an appreciation for them…and now after a few years have grown to really enjoy them.

So those of you who brew probably already know where this is going by now, right? Clearly the best thing to do with two great things is to smash them together and see what happens! So without further ado I present to you my house beer – Neomantra’s Belgian-American IPA! Hell, it even fits the Neomantra theme of being “a new way of creating transformation” if you want to get all deep and philosophical about it.

I’ve seen many recipes out there which have tried this in various ways. My goal will be to achieve a more mellow balance of both styles to make for a great tasting beer that’s geared for every day consumption. This will mean cutting back the OG a bit and figuring out the right balance between the Belgian and American IPA style ingredients (hops and yeast in particular).