Cigar City Brewing Showcases Lemon Drop Hops with Wedge Cut Ale

Cigar City Brewing, Tampa Florida’s best-known purveyor of craft brewed suds, has announced another new beer, one that is being packaged and distributed as a seasonal offering. The new beer is Wedge Cut, an American Wheat Ale brewed with added lemon peel and Lemon Drop hops for a flavor that invokes the cigar and citrus industries, as well as the great outdoors- things that combine to help define this area of the country.

Lemon Drop hops are a product of Hopsteiner Farms and they have been around since 2001. These hops impart the flavor of lemon zest and, as expected, lemon drops and are prized for the citrus additions they being to any beer. Cigar City Brewing’s production team began its quest for a new beer starting with the flavor profile of these hops. They then decided to use an American wheat ale recipe to complete the package, along with Willamette hops for bittering.

The name of the beer, Wedge Cut, is a reference to cigars. Tampa, Florida has a cigar making tradition and Cigar City Brewing decided to continue to honor its hometown’s history in the naming of this beer. A wedge cut refers to a special cutting device that trims the tip of a cigar in a “v” shape. With this type of cut, the smoke is spread over a wider area, enhancing the flavor for the smoker. In addition to that, a wedge is also a type of golf club and golfing is popular here. And let’s not forget that a wedge also suggests a wedge of lemon, which gives a nod to the beer’s name. All things considered, selecting Wedge Cut as the name of this beer was a wise and obvious decision.

Sean Sasscer, Cigar City Brewing Director of Operations, says the new beer is a great way to experience the Lemon Drop hop.

“With this recipe, our brewers and I wanted to highlight the expression of Hopsteiner’s very unique Lemon Drop hop,” says Sasscer. “On its own, the hop gives off flavors and aromas of lemon zest and lemon oil. When it’s combined with actual lemon peel, the hop takes on a remarkable lemon drop and overripe citrus quality. We’re really pleased with the play between ingredients in this beer,” Sasscer added.

Wedge Cut American Wheat Ale has session qualities, including only 4.5 percent alcohol by volume. It will be distributed throughout Cigar City Brewing’s entire U.S. distribution footprint starting in September, 2019 and continuing through the year. Look for it in stores where Cigar City beer is currently sold.