422: Vincent Ménard of Messorem Searches for Brash Balance in Sweet and Sour IPA

Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

Montreal’s Messorem strikes an urban pose—the old factory building in a gritty industrial zone is covered with graffiti, and looks more likely to hold underground raves than contemporary brew days. But that’s part of the charm that the founders sought out, as the brand makes no claim to appeal to everyone. If you know, you know, and beer drinkers in Quebec (and now around the United States) increasing seek out their intensely flavorful IPAs because of their unique and creative point of view. Cofounder and head brewer Vincent Ménard has seen the brewery through rapid growth over the past eight years, and shares his perspectives on brewing IPA in this week’s episode. Along the way, he touches on:

• pasteurizing IPA without shredding hop character
• making drinkable hazy IPA despite higher finishing gravities
• using the lowest Lovibond grain for very pale hazy IPA color
• favoring the dry hop over whirlpooling for hazy IPA hop additions
• finding a place for new products like YCH 803
• layering a range of hop flavors with both traditional pellets and advanced hop products
• expressing fruit and hop flavors and aromas in sour IPA
• pitch-lining a wooden foeder for use as a lagering tank
  

And more.

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