Zipline Brewing Company - Alpha Modern IPA

Zipline's Alpha Modern is a somewhat different sort of IPA than we're used to. The brewers set out to craft a low-ABV session IPA without the common pitfalls of a loss of flavor and body. To this end, they've left the beer unfiltered (which has become super popular these days with the "New England" style of IPA) so as not to rob the beer of any heft unnecessarily. They've also added more hops to this brew than any of their others, and it shows in the flavor. Pouring a super hazy straw color with a big, rocky head of crisp white foam, Alpha Modern offers up various fruity aromas including grapefruit-like citrus tones, a good deal of melon, a touch of mango, stone fruits, and even a bit of pear. In the flavor, look for this brew to come through intensely fruity and with firm, resinous bitterness. Citrus zest clings to the palate while those tropical and stone fruit notes further elaborate the hop character. The use of oats helps maintain a smooth body, and the overall impression is of an IPA that's very crisp and quenching, perfect for the warmer weather ahead. Enjoy this brew at your next cookout, or simply while relaxing outside on a warm summer's day. Cheers!

Zipline Brewing Company in Lincoln, Nebraska first started production back in 2012, focused on making high-quality beers and building up a sustainable community around those beers that the brewery would be able to support. While the brewery started with just one of their three brewery founders (Marcus Powers) as the company’s lone employee, Zipline has since grown to about 40 employees.

Since their opening, the brewery has quickly grown to the full capacity of their production system, and they decided to respond to that constraint by focusing on their nearby markets and adding retail locations. Zipline’s first taproom opened up in 2013 adjacent to their brewery in Lincoln, and they opened the Zipline Beer Hall in November 2016, the latter also in Lincoln, but focusing more on a beer-garden vibe. The brewery’s third taproom opened in summer 2017, in northern downtown Omaha, with more of an urban industrial vibe, and Zipline opened their Culture Lab facility (focusing on mixed-fermentation beers and wild projects) there in February of this year. For good measure, Zipline’s fouth taproom, the Zipline Beer Lounge, opens in Omaha this summer.

Currently, Zipline produces eight year-round brews, plus a wide array of seasonal, small-batch, and barrel-aged beers, incuding the delicious MAAANGO! IPA we featured earlier this year in our Rare Beer Club. For more info on the brewery and their multiple locations in Nebraska, give 'em a ring at 402-475-1001 or visit ziplinebrewing.com.