Now Beer This: A Lesson in Sessions

A Lesson in Sessions: Let’s Pick a Go-To Session IPA!

If you’re not already familiar with the term “session” beer, then you should be. This moniker refers to beers — most often IPAs, because that’s the best beer style in the world — that have a lower ABV content (less than five percent) so you can enjoy several of them in a drinking session. With the right choice, you get loads of beer-y flavor, but without all of the calories and the unfortunate negative side effects of loads of alcohol. What’s not to like?

There are several Session IPAs out there now. Because I am only one man, and because I only have about 600 words to do this in, I’m limiting this battle to four that are available locally and easily obtained. If you have one you want to chirp about, feel free to @ me. So here we go!

First up is Founders All Day IPA. At 4.7%, this golden beauty is the standard-setter for Session IPAs. When brewing any IPA, the challenge is to find that bitter spot (see what I did there? it’s not a “sweet spot” in an IPA) where hops overtake your grain just enough to make your beer bitter, but not wretchedly so. Founders excels at this on a micro level, delivering a perfectly hop-forward beer with piney and grapefruit notes, that rides along a sweet, but not too sweet, malt river. Founders is killing it –and you can kill lots of these.

Next up we have Edmund Oast’s Singular. This Charleston brewery is fantastic in general, so be on the lookout for whatever they do. Compared to the All Day, the Singular is even more hop-forward, which is delicious, but obviously a little less balanced. I think the thinner body on this one would make it more quaffable on a sweltering day, which is sort of the point of the whole style, so I ain’t mad at it. These come in 16 oz cans (it also comes in pints!) so the 4.8% ABV is even more appreciated. If you are a real hop head, but you are in need of a Session, this is your choice.

There are hops and there are hops — and then there are hops. Trophy Brewing’s Trophy Wife is a 4.9% session that also leans toward its hops, but the combination of hops in this one goes more toward the floral than the typical citrus/pine that you get from most American hopped IPAs. An interesting diversion and well worth the detour.

I just haven’t had a bad beer from Burial Beer Co. I’m sure there’s bound to be one. Someday. Maybe. But not yet. Their Ceremonial is, as expected, top notch. Like the others in this list, the body is very light, leading to a very crushable beer, but where this one stands out is the tropical nature of the flavor and aroma of the hops. If you’re looking for a more Polynesian kind of Session IPA, this is your jam.

So who wins? We all do. Session IPAs are a great style for all occasions, and you won’t regret choosing any of these. So go out and getchoo some!

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