Name: Ithaca Beer Company

Location: Ithaca, NY
Type: Production
Available in DC Market: No

What you need to know: Founded in 1998, Ithaca Beer Company has become one of the better breweries in the state of New York, filling the Finger Lakes wine region with good beer to match all that Riesling and Cabernet Franc. They also host a yearly beerfest, “it’s the bubble,” that drew 45 breweries to Ithaca last year. However, it’s on hiatus this year as Ithaca Beer adds capacity so they can distribute to more states and locales (hint hint).

Beer #1: Apricot Wheat (Wheat beer / 4.9% ABV)
Notes: The first thing you notice about this beer will be the fruit, but it’s by no means a fruit-bomb. Cascade hops give it some bite, and accidified malt, when combined with the apricot skins used in the brewing process, give it a bit of funky sourness. A nice summer ale.

Beer Advocate: 74 (224 ratings)
Rate Beer: 30 overall, 52 style (270 ratings)

Sponsorship

Beer #2: Flower Power (American IPA / 7.5% ABV)
Notes:This IPA is hopped five (5) times during the brewing process, so it’s your move, Miller Lite. Like a few other IPAs at SAVOR, this beer is made with Amarillo and Simcoe, so expect some big pineapple flavors. Chinook, Citra, Ahtanum, and Centennial round out the hop bill, which is basically a who’s who of trendy hops. Sorry, Galaxy. There’s a bit of honey malt in the beer as well. One of the better IPAs out there.

Beer Advocate: 92 (899 ratings)
Rate Beer: 96 overall, 95 style (469 ratings)

Summary: Ithaca Beer is bringing two of their year-round offerings, but since they don’t distribute down here, odds are you haven’t had these. Flower Power in particular is a very good IPA. Stop by and ask this brewery to distribute down here.

This profile is a part of the DCBEER.COM SAVOR Brewery Profile series. For more information, follow the link to see profiles of all 2012 SAVOR participants.

Beer Review Disclaimer: The beer reviews found on Beer Advocate and Rate Beer do not represent the opinions of this site. We provide these in the hope that they will serve as a resource showing what some craft beer fans have thought of the beers. These reviews can be a helpful guideline, but are not the be-all end-all about a beer’s strengths or weaknesses.