Abacoa, Fl. isn’t a true city in the legal sense of the word; it’s more an unincorporated section of Jupiter, Fl. That doesn’t mean it isn’t aly less interesting to go to.
The city center area is quite charming, and is home to Roger Dean Stadium, the home of the Jupiter Hammerheads and St. Lucie Cardinals Florida State League baseball teams.
Late last year, another location to open in Downtown Abacoa was Civil Society Brewing Company.
The brewery, opened by Brewmaster Karl Volstad and Head of Operations Evan Miller (yes, the dog on the logo belongs to them), has been burning up the South Florida beer scene with an insanely hop forward selection of beers. Visitors to the brewery will be able to take a look at the offerings, all of which readily identify the hops used in the beers. Even the porters.
But the beer that is getting a lot of buzz recently is their flagship, the simply-titled Fresh (IPA, 6.2% ABV).
Fresh by Civil Society Brewing
I sampled this at SaltWater Brewery’s recent Mass Confusion event, and a number of us (including Evan) were amazed that the name ‘Fresh’ hadn’t been taken already. It’s so simple, why not use it!
According to Volstad, it’s a recipe they continue to work on and evolve. Most of the Amarillo, Citra, and Columbus hops are added close to flameout or dry-hopped to give the beer a big citrus flavor without the excessive bitterness that most IPAs seem to cultivate wantonly.
They succeeded. For an IPA, and one featuring hops that are notoriously high in alpha acids, Fresh is remarkably soft and easy to drink. And that big citrus flavor is definitely there, juicy and ripe and so packed with flavor it’s almost a miracle there’s no pulp in the beer.
It’s got a beautiful golden color and a big bubbly head. The aroma of the beer is nicely sweet, with a big citrus nose to it.
I am interested in going to Civil Society to see how the rest of their beers will stand up to Fresh. I am usually not a big IPA fan, but if the CSBC crew can make heavily hopped IPAs that turn out as approachable as this, it might be worth a shot to go and see what else they do.
But do I go to Abacoa or Jupiter?
Drink Florida Craft,
Dave
@floridabeerblog
floridabeerblog@gmail.com
floridacraftbeerday.com
