Craft Beer Republic Episode 500: West Coast IPA Throwbacks, Milkshake IPA Mayhem, and Booze News Chaos

Episode 500 of Craft Beer Republic is officially live, and yes, we’re still talking craft beer.

To mark the milestone, Greg revisits the beer that helped spark his craft beer obsession: IPA 395 from Mammoth Brewing Company, a classic 7.2% West Coast IPA brewed with sage and juniper for that old school, dank, resinous profile. It’s a throwback to when IBUs mattered and copper-colored IPAs ruled the fridge.

Flex, meanwhile, rolls the dice on Tangerine Jams from Brix City Brewing, an 8% milkshake style double IPA brewed with tangerine, vanilla, Citra, and Mosaic hops. Milkshake IPAs can be hit or miss. This one definitely had opinions.

Beyond the beer reviews, Episode 500 turns reflective. Greg and Flex look back at their first beers on the podcast, talk about how craft beer trends have evolved since 2016, and speculate on what the craft beer industry might look like 500 episodes from now. Will innovation come back around? Will old school West Coast IPA make another surge? Time will tell.

There’s also a full round of Booze News, including:

• Heineken expanding its 0.0 lineup into fruit-forward NA territory

• Bend, Oregon breweries forming the Oregon Beverage Collective

• Real American Beer rebranding and dropping Hulk Hogan from packaging

• Georgia craft brewers pushing for looser self-distribution laws

• An Iowa dentist reinstated after allegedly performing a root canal at .158 BAC

• A Florida man in a Kia Soul allegedly hitting 100 mph before hopping away from deputies

If you’re into craft beer podcasts, West Coast IPA nostalgia, milkshake IPA experiments, and the occasional beer industry headline that makes you question everything, Episode 500 delivers.

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