PRIMARY FLAVOURS

• Pineapple
• Tropical Fruit
• Hoppy
• Creamy

Story

With the motto of 'In Hops We Trust', is it any wonder that Hop Nation would make a range of full-flavoured beers?

But there's more to the Hop Nation story than just big beers. Good mates Sam Hambour and Duncan Gibson are also winemakers, crafting delicious lo-fi drinks under the Site Wine label and making wine everywhere from Barolo to the Okanagan Valley.

There's a crossover with their winemaking focus on beer as well, including some fascinating barrel-matured sours. The lo-fi approach from beer to wine remains the same, with a big focus on using natural ingredients and an emphasis on letting those flavours shine with no pasteurisation and minimal filtration.

It's a challenge to get a well-balanced Hazy India Pale Ale style, but the J Juice absolutely nails it. You can get all the hoppy punchy aromatics, but interspersed with a little more tropical juice, giving this a perfect combination of big flavours, and yet this creamy mouthful. If anything, the only really important thing is to drink this beer ice cold to keep it tasting extra fresh.

Specs

PAIRING GUIDE

You really can’t beat a well-crafted hazy IPA with a leisurely meal, and this fantastic release from the ever-reliable Hop Nation hits all the right notes from the very first sip. All that crisp character allows it to cut right through deep-fried dishes, oily fish and fattier meats, so it’s ideal for dishes featuring duck legs, lamb and heartier steaks like rib-eye. Silky egg tagliatelle classics, ragu sauces, spicy Indian or Thai curries, and all kinds of breaded pork or chicken dishes - think katsu curry or Wiener schnitzel - will definitely deliver memorable pairings to try.

RECIPE MATCHES

• Mexican-Inspired Sweet Potato Burgers
• Chinese Fried Fish
• Roast Lamb Tagliatelle