The Grapefruit Obsession

I’ve written recently about fruit beers, and the conundrum with which many craft beer drinkers view them. Until recently, with the possible exception of some Belgian lambics, fruit was pretty much frowned upon as an adjunct in respectable craft beer. However, today, my guess is, especially with it being summer, fruit beers may comprise as much as a quarter of available stock on shelves.
It wasn’t long ago that any mention of a ‘fruit beer’ would bring revulsion amongst most beer snobs. I recall being handed a Leinenkugel’s Sunset Wheat, a wit brewed with blueberries, and taking only a small sip before promptly returning it. The fruity Blue Moon beers are an easy target of ridicule, but it was the raspberry variety that helped usher me past Bud Light freshman year in college.
Today, almost any beer with overly sugary notes of blueberry, raspberry, or cherry will not pass my lips. It’s the citrus variety, with the obvious nod to the west coast hop varieties and their similar flavor profile, which are welcomed with open arms. And the most beloved citric infusion by far is grapefruit.
I must say, I support the grapefruitification to some extent. It was many years ago in my youth that I remember my mother eating grapefruit with a dash of sugar for breakfast, and expecting a bigger, juicier orange, I found the bitterness revolting. I’m still not the biggest fan of the larger citrus solo, but in my beer, it’s found a perfect home.
While I’ve heard ongoing discussions as to the benefits of grapefruit additions that range from “this is perfect” to “it’s too overwhelming” and “why not just let the hops bring the bitter flavor,” I do believe this is one fruit that works well with some styles of beer, wheat and wit, pale ale and especially IPA in particular.
The beer that has caused the most stir amongst craft beer nuts and newbies alike is Grapefruit Sculpin IPA from Ballast Point Brewing Co. I recall reading about this beer almost three years ago. Soon, I was able to beg a bottle off a west coast buddy, he wouldn’t send me a full 6-pack; the beer was too rare.
Sculpin was already becoming a cult favorite, and it’s since morphed into one of the top selling IPA’s in the country. A favorite of mine, I felt the grapefruit varietal was just a step better than the original. In the years since, the lust for this beer has reached a fever pitch, and the brewery has responded in kind, moving out the beer in droves.
Another great example of using grapefruit in beer comes from the far away land of Mt. Pleasant, S.C. Westbrook Brewing Co. makes a seasonal double IPA that uses loads of grapefruit in the brewing process. The grapefruit actually hides the 9.5 percent ABV pretty well. Perhaps because of this stealthiness is why it’s called Citrus Ninja Exchange. Brewed in collaboration with the guys from the Charleston Beer Exchange, it’s one of Westbrook’s finest seasonal offerings so look for it hitting shelves and taps sometime in August or September.
Several other grapefruit IPAs exist, and some are better than others. You don’t want to be tasting grapefruit juice, you want the addition to enhance and add to the underlying beer. Yet speaking of fruit drink, I must urge caution in another area of grapefruitiness, the shandy category.
There are quite a few grapefruit shandys on the market, and most I find either too boring or too similar to fruit juice. Again, Leinenkugel’s Grapefruit Shandy, like most of their standard offerings, should be avoided; Abita Grapefruit Harvest and Illusive Traveler Grapefruit Ale, too. One I can tolerate is the Stiegl Radler from Germany. Of course, if you’re expecting a beer, you’ll be left disappointed. In which case, just go with that fruity Sculpin. Enjoy the brews … Cheers.
Gene’s Haufbrau has more than 200 beers in bottles or on tap. Gene’s is located at 817 Savannah Hwy. 225-GENE. E-mail the Beer Snob at publisher@westof.net.