You guys! I am hyyyyyypped to share this beer! It is Day Four of the Eighty-Eight Brewing advent calendar. All of the beers I’ve tried so far have been delicious (duh, I love this brewery), but this one? This one?!
It is new to me and I am officially obsessed. People who read last year’s blogmas will probably be able to guess what type of beer it is, because I am nothing if not consistent in my tastes. But we’ll get to that. First I want to finally take the opportunity to talk about Eighty-Eight Brewing Company.
Eighty-Eight is a Calgary-based brewery that launched in 2018 – their name is a reference to ‘88 Winter Olympics which, of course, was in Calgary. The names of their beers are all throwback references to the 80s and their taproom is also evocative of that decade. We love to see a consistent theme! Eighty-Eight is dedicated to creating an inclusive environment and they put their money where their mouth is. Just check out their Community Partnerships on their website. LOVE IT.
The summer of 2020 is the first time I remember drinking an Eighty-Eight beer, though. I distinctly remember doing outdoor yoga with Megan and Claire, then swinging by a Bridgeland liquor store to grab something to drink on Megan’s outdoor patio as we all sat 6 feet apart. Instantly, I the cute design of the Tiffany can drew me in and I quickly became obsessed with the rose saison. In the spring of 2021, my dad and I did a zoom tasting of four Eighty-Eight beers with their brewer. It was shocking to discover how many of their IPA variations I liked. In the spring of 2022 when Moveology opened, I discovered their taproom was essentially just down the road and I was hooked.
And then. And then.
I found out that this company was co-founded by the husband of one of my best friends from junior high. Ugh. I love Calgary!
Day Four Clue
But enough about me, onto the beer. The Day Four clue read “Sneak away for some you-time this season”. Nothing immediately came to mind for me, but I checked out their taproom menu and happened to notice a little beer named “The Hall Pass”…
The Hall Pass (Imperial Dry Hopped Sour with Belma)
Am I smart or am I smart? Beer Four was the Hall Pass – an amazing citrus-forward tropical fruit sour. It essentially tastes like grownup juice, with an ABV of 7.5% and an IBU of 5. (OMG. 5. No wonder I like it… I am a heathen. What even is my palate!?)
For those curious (aka me), Belma is a special type of hop. It seems like it’s fairly new, only cultivated in 2012, and it comes from the US. Most importantly, it seems like it is the element that helps to add these fruit flavours to the beer and, while it can be used in many types of beers, it really shines in this sour.
Supposedly the cans are sold out, so while I enjoyed this can while watching Survivor, I guess I’ll be making a visit to the taproom to enjoy another!
Have you been to Eighty-Eight Brewing yet? I would love to hear about your experience – use the comments below!