6 Yankee Brew <strong>News</strong> December 2012/January 2013 Thai Me Up’s Kirk McHale Wins 2012 Alpha King Challenge The 14th annual Alpha King Challenge, sponsored by <strong>Brewing</strong> <strong>News</strong>, Hopunion and Three Floyds <strong>Brewing</strong> and hosted by Denver’s Rock Bottom Brewery, showcased a stellar lineup of hoppy beers last September. Nine groups of judges pushed 14 entries to the final round, the best sampled from a total of 128 entries. The 2012 winner, Thai Me Up’s (<strong>Jack</strong>son, Wyo.) 2 x 4, battled its way to the kingship. The beer, a quadruple pale ale, was brewed by Kirk McHale. Second place went to Stone <strong>Brewing</strong>’s (Escondido, Calif.) Enjoy by 11.09.12, an imperial IPA brewed by Mitch Steele. Finishing third was Alpine <strong>Brewing</strong>’s (Alpine, Calif.) Bad Boy, an imperial IPA brewed by Shawn McIlhenney. Named in honor of Three Floyd <strong>Brewing</strong>’s Alpha King Pale Ale, the Alpha King Challenge is an annual competition open to all commercially licensed breweries in the U.S. The only requirement to the entries is that they contain no less than 62 IBUs. This year’s competition featured the largest collection yet. Making it into the top 14 beers were IPAs spanning the country: Alpine Beer (Alpine, Calif.) – Bad Boy, an imperial IPA by Shawn McIlhenney; Barley Brown’s Brew Pub (Baker City, Ore.) – Pallet <strong>Jack</strong>, a fresh hop IPA by Marks Lanham; Big Dog’s <strong>Brewing</strong> (Las Vegas, Nev.) - War Dog Imperial IPA, an imperial IPA by Dave Otto; Chama River <strong>Brewing</strong> (Albuquerque, N.M.) – Hop-Slap!, an American IPA by Justin Hamilton; City Star <strong>Brewing</strong> (Berthoud, Colo.) – Dead or Alive, an imperial IPA by John Way; Fat Head’s <strong>Brewing</strong> (Middleburg Heights, Ohio) – Head Hunter IPA, an Americanstyle IPA by Matt Cole; Fat Head’s <strong>Brewing</strong> (Middleburg Heights, Ohio) – Hop Juju, an imperial IPA by Matt Cole; Kuhnhenn <strong>Brewing</strong> (Warren, 6TH ANNUAL Mich.) – D.R.I.P.A Double Rice India Pale Ale, an American IPA by Eric Kuhnhenn; La Cumbre <strong>Brewing</strong> (Albuquerque, N.M.) – Elevated IPA, an IPA by Jeffrey Erway; Lawson’s Finest Liquids (Warren, Vt.) – Triple Play IPA, an American double IPA by Shawn Lawson; Societe <strong>Brewing</strong> (San Diego, Calif.) – Every Man’s, an imperial IPA by Societe Brewers; Stone <strong>Brewing</strong> (Escondido, Calif.) – Stone Enjoy <strong>By</strong> 11.09.12 IPA, an imperial IPA by Mitch Steele; Thai Me Up Restaurant and Brewery (<strong>Jack</strong>son Hole, Wyo.) – 2 x 4, a quadruple pale ale by Kirk McHale; and The Brew Kettle Production Works (Strongsville, Ohio) – White Rajah, an IPA by <strong>Jack</strong> Kephart. Past winners of the Alpha King Challenge are listed at brewingnews.com/alphaking. CALLING ALL IPA LOVERS: IT’S NIPAC TIME! Can you choose the champion? Get ready to make your picks! Start a pool with friends at your local pub or at the office. Bracket posters will be posted online as competiton nears. Make your picks by 2/16/2013. Sign up for Beer Brackets email. www.brewingnews.com/nipac Commercial Brewers: NIPAC Registration is online; register today! You MUST enter online. Enter beers before 1/31/13; Ship for receipt by 2/12/13. www.brewingnews.com/nipac/entryform
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