Brewer Q & A (Issue 22)

91 Rating – Boston Beer Co. – Samuel Adams Rebel Grapefruit IPA

Responses from Boston Beer brewer Seth Adams.

Who came up with this beer's recipe?
Our brewers work together to develop recipes for our beers. Together we worked on a recipe that not only showcased a wide range of hop intensities and characteristics, but also one that packed a big punch of citrus. We use real grapefruit, which helps to amplify one of our favorite West Coast hops, Mosaic.

What’s your favorite aspect of this beer (flavor, aroma, etc.)?  
Rebel Grapefruit IPA’s big grapefruit flavor and aroma is my favorite aspect because it comes from both using real grapefruit juice and peel but also hops that showcase similar flavors. We add grapefruit peel to the kettle to impart a tart, sharp character and then we add grapefruit juice right before the beer is filtered to create a big grapefruit juiciness.

Where does this beer’s name come from?
Rebel Grapefruit is part of our family of Rebel IPAs. The name Rebel Grapefruit IPA lets you know exactly what to expect: a rebellious grapefruit IPA!

Is this your "desert island beer?" 
I would love to bring this beer with me on a desert island, and would probably drink it every day right around brunch. Why pair pancakes with OJ when you can pair them with Rebel Grapefruit IPA?

Can you describe this beer in 10 words or less? 
Juicy, with a big citrus punch and tropical fruit notes.

Do you know a story – or have a personal story – that revolves around this beer? 
Rebel Grapefruit features Mosaic hops, which are relatively new to the brewing scene. Just a few years ago when I started brewing at Sam Adams, they were released as HBC369 because they didn’t even have a name yet. Since then, we’ve explored tweaking our Latitude 48 IPA recipe by brewing with Mosaic hops and now, for Rebel Grapefruit, we’ve used them during the kettle and dry-hopping process. Mosaic’s mandarin orange, pineapple and grapefruit flavors complement the actual grapefruit we add to this recipe.