Saint Arnold – Our Thoughts on Collaborations & Hazy IPAs

From Saint Arnold:

We begin this edition of the Saint Arnold Army Newsletter with a message from our founder Brock Wagner.

I love the community that exists between craft brewers. Along with the beer we brew, that is what inspired me to open Saint Arnold Brewing Company.
Many have heard me on my soapbox against collaboration beers. And it’s not just because I’m an only child. I don’t understand the point of them 99% of the time. Okay, so we did one with Sierra Nevada last year, but who wouldn’t? Basically, I think they are silly. Pointless. Let me show you I’m cool because I’m friends with another tatted up dude with a lush beard like mine.
Also, we CAN’T do collaborations with a brewpub even if we wanted to because of Texas’ silly beer laws. Don’t even try to understand. So if, for instance, Brash wanted to do a collaboration with us, I’d list the reasons we wouldn’t and couldn’t do one.
Now, a little bit about these ridiculous hazy New England IPAs. First off, an IPA is INDIA PALE ALE. Not India Cloudy Whitish Ale. The entire point of an IPA is that it’s bitter! Sure some hop aroma is a lovely touch, but if you have an IPA, I expect to notice some IBUs on the sides of my tongue. Her Majesty’s troops fighting for the Raj surely would have mutinied had they been presented with a lovely pint of something resembling chunky pistachio ice cream more than beer. And really, is not clarifying your beer anything to be proud of?  
There’s this country called Europe that has been growing hops for, like, a millennia. They have some cool new ones, just like the Pacific Northwest. We like the Pacific Northwest, but why not use some interesting flavors from Germany, like Halletauer Blanc, amongst the mass of green matter you are dumping by truckload into your fermenters. That certainly sounds appealing to me.
So, there you have it. This is what’s wrong with the world today. Things we will never do.
Coming next week.
Brock Wagner
Founder
Saint Arnold Brewing Company