When on my city break to Kraków, I purchased a can from the famous House of Beer in the Old Town. I bought this due to the groovy can design and the fact that it reminded me of my girlfriend. Although, rather dimly of myself, I did not really click on that this beer contained ginger. Yes, I know it is in the name. I like ginger biscuits and normally I am not really a fan of anything else ginger related. But this was different, if you keep reading you will discover the history of this niche IPA, the pour, the taste and aroma this gave off (the clue is in the name I guess) and finally my verdict also how I came to the realisation that this was different.
A modern craft brewery which is family run
Lubrow Brewery is a family run craft brewery which was originally run as restaurant brewery before the Lubocki family relocated to Borcz near the cities of Gdańsk, Gdynia and Sopot. This is where the family fully embraced craft brewing. In 2020, this brewery fully embraced a canning operation which fully preserved their untrained and unfiltered beers. This allows Lubrow to fully push boundaries from more traditional styles and spread the beer across Poland.
Ginger Trip IPA is a Cold India Pale Ale with Ginger. This 6.2% ABV beer markets itself as a ‘refreshing IPA with a distinct ginger note and a citrus accent’. This IPA features a lager style fermentation hopped with a mixture of American and New Zealand types. This leads to the bright complexion of this IPA. Remarkably, the beer contains ginger which most people unlike myself won’t miss. It contains 4% ginger juice to be exact. Ginger Trip adds to Lubrow Brewery’s innovative line of craft beers.
The pour of a cold IPA
When cracking open the can, it pours a bright golden straw colour with a slight haze. This also, creates a medium sized white foamy head which left a decent amount of lacing down the glass. This was quite a lively beer with a decent amount of carbonation. This matches the description perfectly of a cold IPA.
A vibrant taste and aroma
When I cracked open the can and poured I was immediately greeted by ginger which was sharp and spicy. This was followed by citrus hops mainly giving flavours such as grapefruit and more tropical fruits. There was subtle bready undertone which may be from the barley malt. Overall, on the nose this presents a zesty and refreshing aroma especially from the tangy kick from the ginger juice.
When taking my first sip, again I was immediately greeted by the warm spice of the ginger which quickly became intertwined with a citrus zest and mild maltiness. This has a lingering burn from the ginger however this beer is still rather light and dry which may be from the rice flakes used in the brewing process. And ,consequently was quite medium bodied and balanced. Overall, this was a very refreshing and different tasting beer from the usual types of IPA.
Time for my verdict
This IPA caught me off guard when I first tried it, I expected the ginger by the time I came to try this beer but for it to work so much alongside the citrusy hops; that definitely left me surprised to say the least. This was extremely refreshing with a dry and warm finish. I feel this beer pushed boundaries of what makes a good Cold India Pale Ale and this totally worked. It was a really nice beer and if I was back in Poland, I would probably pick this up for old times sake. A really good beer and for that I feel it deserves a 4 out of 5 and this opened my eyes to try more extravagant types of ales. I would recommend this beer to anyone even if they weren’t a massive fan of ginger.
Where did I purchase the beer from?
I bought this beer as a takeaway can from the ‘legenda’ called House of Beer, this is perhaps the most famous craft beer bar in Kraków. I think the price I paid was around 29 zloty or £5.90.
If you would like to explore more of my beer reviews, please don’t hesitate. Every view and click is appreciated. Cheers
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