In the third full week of April 2015, Alvarado Street Brewery released three fresh batches of beer. They always offer a rotating collection of house-made brews, but we thought we’d open up the curtain and give you a peek into details on two the latest ones, to give you an idea of the kind of thought and care that goes into each creation.

Minesweeper IPA: Minesweeper was Alvarado Street Brewery’s very first IPA released, and this will be the 9th or 10th batch since their opening. It recently won a Silver Medal in the American IPA division at the 2015 L.A. International Beer Competition! Nothing is done to minimize the beautiful hop haze that you might notice in the glass - the cloudiness of this beer is something they’re proud of, as it contributes to added hop flavor, aroma, and lends a rich, coating mouthfeel, leaving the glass caked in hop oils and foam. The hops they use for Minesweeper are Simcoe and Citra - both contribute intense, orangey citrus and pineapple notes that carry through in the flavor. Not the most bitter IPA - like most of Alvarado Street’s hoppy beers, they like to keep it approachable and aroma heavy.

Duane's World IPA: Duane's World is an IPA that relies on the use of a unique New Zealand hop variety called Nelson Sauvin. This hop is one of Head Brewer J.C. Hill’s personal favorites, and in this beer it’s combine with Citra for an intense tropical character - lots of lychee, gooseberry, and passion fruit. The name comes from the owner of the local homebrew shop, Duane, who sourced some Nelson for Alvarado Street Brewery last summer so they could make this beer. This is the third version, and the first time they’ve had it back in about 6-8 months.