One of the first beers I fell in love with in the early days of my craft beer journey was Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. It is the beer that defined the whole style, and it is still one of my favorite beers to this day. For me, it is a wonderful example of a beer with balance. It has a distinct bitterness, but a notably malty background, and it features the quintessential American hop, Cascade.

As Americans went deeper and deeper into the world of hops with IPAs, Double IPAs, Hazys and the like, I found myself struggling to find new and exciting pale ales. It almost seemed like the style was going to be forgotten completely. However, I could always find a few APAs hanging around the beer store, and I did my best to support them.

Sierra Nevada was always my go-to, but I slowly found others to satisfy my desire for a brew with crisp hop flavor and balance. Deschutes Mirror Pond, Anchor Brewing’s Liberty Ale, and Peticolas Brewing’s Royal Scandal. These beers became lighthouses in an increasingly bitter sea of choices. No matter how far out there we get as brewers, I can always count on these beers to guide me back to the roots of where it all started for me.

[Special shout out to Michael Peticolas and his team at Peticolas Brewing Company. They are still my favorite brewery in Dallas, TX, and the only other brewery I volunteered at before getting my first brewery job. They are great brewers and even better people. Visit them if you ever get a chance.]

Brewers everywhere have always loved this style, but it became extremely difficult to sell them as our customer base sought more and more bitterness. Fortunately, the new generation of craft beer drinkers are starting to rediscover their love of the style, and new examples are popping up everywhere. Croatia, in particular, seems to enjoy the balanced bitterness this style offers. My hope is there will be a pale ale renaissance soon. With that in mind, it shouldn’t be hard to figure out why I wanted to make a pale ale as soon as I had the opportunity.

This recipe is a combination of everything I loved about those first pale ales I enjoyed. It features a combination of Cascade, Simcoe, and Dragon hops for a blend of grapefruit, pine, and tropical fruit flavor and aroma. The malt bill features pale malt with a touch of medium crystal malt and munich to provide a balanced flavor all the way through and a nod to the old school pale ales I started out with. At 4.2% ABV, you can have a few of them as you hang out by the sea enjoying the sunshine. The balanced versatility of a pale ale means it pairs well with almost any dish, but personally, I would recommend drinking it with ćevapi and grilled vegetables, or even some steamed clams from the market.

This beer is dedicated to the roots of Craft Beer and the ride we have all taken together.