Sweet 15

Occasionally life passages require dramatic, indulgent celebrations. Since we — the two baby men behind Hot Knives — both turned a quarter-of-a-century-old this year, we’re starting to forlornly dig the passage of time enough that we can get Dionysian once in a while for special occasions. Like last week. We partook in an out-of-control, meat-free, 7-course tasting menu meal that cost more than our monthly rent, just to toast to recent good fortunes: Celebrate good times, c’mon.
The brewers at Pizza Port know this. To celebrate their 15th anniversary, they brewed a new imperial double IPA by adding one of 15 different kinds of hops to a bubbling cauldron every 15 minutes. The result is Hop 15, breathtakingly badass, and not as much of a Frankenstein beer as you might imagine. Compared to some triple IPAs, this orange-hued brew is downright balanced. Of course the immediate first note is a chomping bite of hop flavors — a well-rounded and complex mouthful of zesty, earthy, and floral notes firing all at once. Piney notes win out over sugar, which we tend to like. The lingering aftertaste is fresh, even relatively clean tasting, reminiscent of a sea breeze through a field of pine trees. Tender.
Dairy Pairy: Roquefort
Soundtrack: Modest Mouse’s “Head South”