I’m really not a fan of holidays created by corporations to sell you more of their cards or products. When I first heard of National Creamsicle Day, it sounded like another marketing ploy for Blue Bunny and I was a bit hesitant to join in the festivities.
But after celebrating this holiday at Iron Hill Brewery and Restaurant in Media, I have changed my mind on the significance of this great day. To get everyone in the Creamsicle spirit, Iron Hill’s award-winning brewers created a batch of Creamsicle Wit beer to tap for the August 14th festivities. Not only did they offer this unique beer, but they also offered free Creamsicles and hosted an ice cream eating contest.
After grabbing a stool at the bar I ordered the Creamsicle Wit without hesitation. I always love trying unconventional beers and this one definitely fit nicely in the genre. The pint glass arrived full of a light orange brew with little head on it. The aroma was just amazing, the initial smell was dead on creamsicle, and the finish smelled of bubblegum. This beer had a fairly complex flavor profile, but all the flavors melded together in a beautiful way. Amazingly enough this beer definitely reminded me of biting into a creamsicle. It tasted of orange, coriander, vanilla, wheat, and finished with the taste of bubblegum. This was a well-balanced beer that was not overly sweet. The concoction was highly carbonated which gave it a crispness, but this was matched with the silky smooth mouthfeel of the oats. This was a great play on the sensation you get while consuming your way through the different textures of a creamsicle. Coming into this event I feared the beer would be too sweet, or wouldn’t properly represent the flavor of a creamsicle, but the guys at Iron Hill definitely aced this brew.
We really enjoyed having the chance to hang out with assistant brewer Jarrod May. Not only did Jarrod enlighten my friend Kyle and I with his brewing wisdom, but he also offered me a free creamsicle as well. One of the best parts of an Iron Hill event is that they always have their brewers on hand to chat with patrons about their beers. This is a great opportunity for any homebrewers who want to gain insight into the art of brewing.
Jarrod informed us that this beer is a spin on their traditional Wit recipe. The main difference is the addition of sweet orange peel and vanilla in the brew to give it the flavor of orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream. Jarrod was also nice enough to let us try their Gary Nelson, which was not even finished brewing yet. When we tried this beer it was finished the primary fermentation stage and was ready to be dry hopped with a load of Nelson Sauvin hops from New Zealand. This American Style Rye IPA was named after a restaurant employee whom had been working at Iron Hill for 10 years. This beer uses Columbus as the bittering hop, but the real centerpiece is the liberal dosing of Nelson Sauvin hops. Our unfinished samples had a nice grainy rye flavor, as well as a burst of grapefruit which was followed by a mix of tropical fruits. After dry hopping, this beer will be loaded with even more fruity hop flavor. This is definitely a beer I can’t wait to be released.
After a fairly lengthy beer discussion with Jarrod he excused himself to prepare for the ice cream eating contest, a battle between six contestants to see who could consume their large bowl of orange creamsicle ice cream the fastest. This was not only a contest against the other eaters, but these gluttons also had to battle the ever present danger of brain freeze. I was impressed by all the eaters’ swift progress in devouring their bowls. The winner was none other than Bob Barrar, the head brewmaster at the Media location.
This event was a lot of fun and I recommend that everyone check out the Creamsicle Wit before the keg is kicked. All the hop-heads should keep an eye out for the Gary Nelson IPA, as well. Iron Hill Media also has a great Four-Course Beer and Cheese Pairing coming up on the 23rd. You can find out more information on their website, “like” them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.
