A Veer(y) Hazy IPA: A review of Muskoka Brewery's new non-alcoholic hazy craft beer
/Muskoka Brewery releases new year-round non-alcoholic, thirst-quenching pale ale
Muskoka Brewery is at it again with their new non-alc offering, a hazy IPA. Veer Hazy IPA is a punchy thirst-quencher in stores just in time for summer.
Pouring a hazy dark gold with a thick white head that lingers and coats the glass, Veer Hazy IPA hits you with aromas of grapefruit, tangerine, and melon with a soft silky mouthfeel of peach and apricot. A bit malty, you can sense a mild biscuit as well.
“The combination of four different hops gives Veer Hazy IPA a lovely blend of unique stone fruit and citrusy notes, with a lightly tropical profile,” said Muskoka Brewery Marketing Manager Kyra Dietsch. “We used Magnum, Galaxy, Simcoe and Cascade hops throughout the boiling process. Along with an addition of wheat & flaked oats, we were able to add body to the beer to mimic the mouthfeel of standard alcoholic IPAs.”
Veer Hazy is crisp, clean with a smooth finish that lingers. Available year-round, it has the freshness to work well in the warmer months while offering the right depth to keep up with the needs of a heartier brew as the temperature starts to drop.
“The process to bring Veer Hazy IPA to market was a unique journey as it’s not a standard way to make non-alcs, and different from how we approached Veer Lager with Lime,” said Head Brewer Gary Jollimore. “As mentioned in previous articles, we still used a low/no alcohol yeast strain in conjunction with a mashing profile that supports low convertible sugars to achieve minimal fermentation, but ended up venturing way off the beaten path in the method to make Veer Hazy IPA and I am going to need to keep the lengths of the process under wraps!”
Let’s keep our eyes squarely on the summer months, and what pairs nicely with this tasty new brew. Let’s start with some lounging-around appetizers. This is a great option for fully loaded nachos, ham and chive quiche, or beef sliders. Moving on to the mains, you can pair Veer Hazy with Tacos Al Pastor (normally pork, but also works nicely with beef), hot dogs / sausages, or pizza. If you want to keep it a bit lighter you can try grilled peach & chicken salad (with or without burrata), as the peachy apricot notes in the hazy brew will be a perfect pairing. Since it’s also such a fresh beer, try pairing it with baked lemon butter tilapia for a tasty treat.
Cheers and happy sipping!
