Arrowhead Pride Beer of the Week: Bear Republic Brewing Co Racer 5 IPA

Welcome to another edition of the Beer of the Week!

As always, the Beer of the Week is originally presented on the Arrowhead Pride Tailgate on 610 Sports Radio as part of my Defense and Beer of the Week segment.

With the final regular-season contest coming up against the Oakland Raiders, I traveled just north of the city to wine country for this week’s offering. This week’s Beer of the Week is none other than Bear Republic Brewing Co. Racer 5 IPA!

A 7.5% ABV American IPA, this full-bodied beer is made to feature the floral hop varieties that help make up the 75 IBU’s. Cascade, Columbus, Chinook and Centennial hops make this an aggressively hopped, yet well-balanced beer. It’s one of the beers that helped define the “West Coast IPA” style, having won gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival in 1999 and a decade later in 2009. It’s spawned the Racer series of beers for the brewery, with four different iterations as seasonal offerings.

Bear Republic Brewing Company was established in 1995 in Sonoma County. Named after the 1846 California Bear Flag Revolt, Bear Republic is the 42nd largest craft brewery in the United States, with the majority of their beer sales coming from Racer 5 IPA. Their recipes and formulations are crafted over several years, not just rushing beers to market. This gives their offerings a well-constructed, balanced palate that others may bypass trying to get beers in the hands of the consumer. These better beers result in happier, loyal customers — and their litany of awards for not only their beers, but also the brewery itself, speaks to quality they provide.

If you can, make sure to swing by your local liquor store and scoop up some Bear Republic Brewing Co Racer 5 IPA this weekend!

Check back here this time next week for the new Beer of the Week!