Some would say that Colorado wrote the book on hemp beers. There have been several hemp- accented brews produced in the Rocky Mountain State over the years, all of them by medium and small- size breweries. Now, one of the larger brewing operations is turning to hemp as New Belgium Brewing prepares to release Hemperor HPA next month.
Hemperor HPA is brewed using hemp seeds, an ingredient intended to add a dose of cannabis terpenes to the taste of the finished product. It is meant to mimic the scent and aroma of marijuana in beer while still keeping everything safe and legal, since hemp seeds are free from THC, the psychoactive ingredient that made Mary Jane (in)famous.
Hemp is the less controversial cousin to marijuana and it is legal in most instances. But that hasn’t spared hemp from controversy and even legal restrictions. In January, 2017, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) issued a statement that, on its face, sounded like an outright outlawing cannabidiol, a hemp derived substance. The DEA is being challenged in court, but the effects of its ruling have been felt in the craft beer industry, most notably with Dads & Dudes Breweria. This Colorado- based brewery made history in 2016 when it obtained approval from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau to brew and sell its cannabidiol infused brew. Dads & Dudes was forced to put its hemp derived brew on the back burner following the DEA ruling.
Hemperor HPA is brewed using Pale, White Wheat, and Midnight Wheat malts along with Nugget, Cascade, HBC 522, and Simcoe hops. Hemp hearts and natural flavor round out the ingredients, producing a beer with 7 percent alcohol by volume and 55 IBU of bitterness.
Assuming all goes well for Hemperor HPA and the Feds don’t come knocking, the beer will debut in late April, 2018. Look for it first on draft and then in six packs where New Belgium beer is presently sold.
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