Confession: I am a hop fiend. When I reach for a pint glass I love to be hit by that pungent, often grassy smell, that sharp bite of flavor – at times fruity, floral, citrusy – that lingering bitterness on the tongue: all the signs it’s chock full of hops. So imagine my delight when I found out last Thursday was IPA day – IPA, or India Pale Ale, being the beer most famous for packing a punch of hops in every sip. In honor of this most sacred of days, this week’s column features an IPA currently on tap at Dear Bushwick on Wilson Avenue: Southern Tier IPA, brewed by Southern Tier Brewing Company, based out of Lakewood, New York.

Southern Tier’s IPA pours a golden amber with a thick white head. IPAs tend to really smell like the hops that make them shine, but Southern Tier doesn’t fully deliver here, only producing a mildly hoppy aroma. When you take a sip the hops are present with a nice bitter edge –  a little bit piney, a little grapefruity – but there are a lot of sweet malt flavors going on too, dominating the taste is a surprising way for an IPA. It finishes out in a clean, smooth aftertaste, and with a middle-range 7.3% alcohol this is a highly drinkable IPA, if not a true stand out.