Genevieve--The Gal that Keeps on Giving

One of the great perqs (yes, that's the correct spelling) of retirement--AKA Geezerhood--is that you can pretty much go where you want to go when you want to go. Another perq is that there is not much worth waiting in line for.

So when the good folks at Flounder Brewing put out a notice of a new beer release called "Johnny," and scheduled it to take place at 5 PM on a Friday afternoon, I figured I'd pull up, walk in, get the suds and shoot the breeze with Jeremy and Bill for a bit.

Wrong.

There wasn't a space in the lot and the line for "Johnny" was almost out the door. And the standees weren't anywhere near geezerhood. I thought, "Don't these people work?" But they were there because of Brewer Brad's grandmother--Genevieve.

For a brewery that didn't even have an IPA in the plans when it opened, Flounder has made a living off the old gal, a fragrant, juicy, flavorful IPA that has seen various spin-offs--one of which was "Johnny." Genevieve was"Our first IPA. Inspired by our EX-IPA-01 pilot batch - Brad and Flounder decided to scale up Brad's great recipe. Our staple IPA boasts five different hops which showcase a piney and citrus melody. From aroma to flavor, you can expect a well rounded IPA that'll leave you wanting more."

Turns out Johnny was Genevieve's husband.

And, as Ed McMahon would say, "HERE'S JOHNNY!" "Our Genevieve IPA aged in Silk City Distillers bourbon barrels. The result is an amazing IPA with a smooth bourbon warmth with hints of vanilla, pineapple, and mango. The finish reveals a delicious ripe peach."

Which, of course, was why The PubScout was there. But it was actually a spin-off of Genny that hooked me a while ago. Dubbed Queen Genevieve, it was an amped up Genny that was hands-down delicious, and I followed her around to tap takeovers and festivals like the dutiful subject I was.

The bad news is that Her Majesty's next appearance probably will not be until late summer. But there is good news--besides Johnny. Seems Brad and Jeremy tinkered a bit more and double-dryhopped the old gal. The result was DDH Genevieve, and this beer might just be a usurper to the throne. After a sample, I decided to pick up a full growler of DDH in addition to the Johnny I came for. And that's an issue most visitors to the "nano brewery" in Hillsborough will face. They'll come in for one thing and walk out with more.

And DDH is simply an outstanding beer. Even little Savannah (R.) looked pleased. Fragrant beyond description, mango, citrus and tangerine being players, this 6.4% winner is sure to please those who enjoy New England style IPA's.

No disrespect, Your Majesty, but it's good knowing that I have to wait till August to see The Queen, I can at least get an audience with The King or The Princess. And who knows what other relatives are in-waiting?

Cheers!

The PubScout