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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Walk on the ale side

Rick Bonino

Orlison has made its name as one of the rare craft brewers specializing in lagers.

But on Saturday, as part of the statewide Washington Beer Open House (above), it introduced its first ale – an IPA.

“I just wanted to show people that I could,” says co-owner/brewmaster Bernie Duenwald, who makes an India pale lager as part of his regular lineup.

“People are always asking, ‘Have you got an IPA?’ I say, ‘No, we have an IPL,’ and they give you a puzzled look. … I’m just trying to work out of the box, do something different.”

It actually isn’t all that big a stretch for Duenwald, whose hybrid recipes tend to use ale-style ingredients fermented with lager yeast. That results in cleaner, rounder, less fruity flavors than typically found in ales.

His IPA, made with an ale yeast borrowed from Twelve String, balances piney Chinook, fruity Amarillo and spicy Perle hops over a lightly sweet caramel malt body, which he plans to tone down a bit in future versions. The finished product will be an occasional release for the brewery, at least to start.

Orlison on Saturday also poured preview samples of a few upcoming specialties: a rye version of the IPL, scheduled for release in May; a Thai Szechuan, with basil, lime, ginger and Szechuan peppercorns, set for July; and Wrecked Caddy, brewed with tea bags and lemon to mimic the non-alcoholic Arnold Palmer cocktail.

Still conditioning was the limited-release Hops’In, out next month, similar to the brewery's Pilsner 37 but dry-hopped with Amarillo – a technique seldom seen with lagers.

“We’re looking at all the fun things that ale brewers do and saying, ‘Why can’t we do this?’ “ Duenwald says.

Look for Orlison’s limited releases to eventually show up in 22-ounce bottles, while the regular lineup will continue in cans.