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

Hops are for heroes

Rick Bonino

Everyone knows that baseball and beer go together like, well, flags and the Fourth. And Homefront IPA mashes all of those together in a most unique way.

The beer, issued each year to benefit military charities, is actually aged over maple Louisville Slugger baseball bats (don’t worry, they’re new, not used). While technically a Memorial Day release, it’s a fitting choice for this holiday weekend as well.

It all started with former Mariners relief pitcher Chris Ray – a homebrewer turned brewery owner – who teamed up with Fremont Brewing for the first, Seattle-only offering back in 2011.

Since then, the concept has spread across the country. This year, in addition to Fremont, nine other breweries participated, from Hawaii’s Maui to Florida’s Cigar City.

All proceeds go to Soldiers’ Angels, which assists active and veteran military personnel and their families with everything from care packages to hospital support. In addition to the donated bats, hops are provided by Yakima’s Hops Direct, malt by Cargill and cans by Crown.

The golden-amber Homefront (6.2 percent alcohol by volume, 65 International Bitterness Units) drinks bigger and richer than the numbers might suggest, with a pronounced maple and hop aroma and flavor. The woodiness from the bats is balanced by piney Chinook hops, an earthy fruitiness from Mosaic and a bit of bitter orange peel.

While probably not for everyone, hopheads and/or the more adventurous might want to check it out and help the cause. It’s a limited release, so look for it at specialty stores (I got mine at Pilgrim’s in Coeur d’Alene).