On Tap is a regular column featuring our recommendations on the most unique new draft beer offerings from local pubs.
Our Recommendation: Calypso Pilsner
Where: Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant of West Chester, 3 West Gay Street, West Chester, PA
I sat down with Iron Hill Brewer Paul Rutherford and Assistant Brewer Mike Rutkowski to sample their latest offering, Calypso Pilsner. This is a traditional German lager, light in color with a firm bitterness and a dry finish.
Mike explained they made this pilsner with experimental “Calypso” hops that Regional Brewer Larry Horwitz brought in from Washington State. “As soon as I smelled the hops, I knew I wanted to make a pils,” Mike said. Paul noted that the unique hop variety gives it a pine and apple aroma.
“The pils has a minty taste mixed with a citrusy aroma,” Mike said after a taste. “I like the big hop taste with the clean dry finish, and I just like drinking pilsners,” he laughed.
I asked Mike and Paul about pilsners in general, if they have fallen out of favor. “Not at all,” Paul corrected me. “Pilsners are still the most popular beer in the world.” Mike chimed in, listing European countries such as Germany and Poland where pilsners continue to be the number one beer. Paul added, “this area around here, the Pennsylvania area, is well known for pilsners. Many local brewers are making some great pilsners these days.”
Iron Hill West Chester is one of these excellent brewers. This pils was light and enjoyable on a summer afternoon, a nice compliment to a light lunch or a salad. The Calypso Pils comes in at 5.5% alcohol. They just tapped this pils last week and expect to have it through the end of August.
Previous On Tap columns featured the following: Fuller’s ESB, click here; Earth Bread + Brewery’s Black Irish Stout, click here; Sierra Nevada’s A Lighter Shade of Pale, click here; Deschutes Brewery’s Mirror Pond Ale, click here; Sierra Nevada’s Southern Hemisphere Harvest Ale, click here.
