Another keeper

River City’s Riverkeeper IPA is back for a third run, ready to make its biggest splash yet.

This year’s lighter, fruitier version began pouring at the downtown taproom today and will be formally introduced for First Friday at Numerica Credit Union downtown from 5:30 to 8. That event also will include live music and an exhibit of Charley Gurche’s Spokane River photos.

As always, a portion of sales will benefit the Spokane Riverkeeper environmental protection program. And this year, that’s getting a boost from the brewery’s new Riverwalk promotion, which runs all month.

Eight restaurants along and near the river are participating: The Blackbird, David’s Pizza, The Knock, Nectar Wine & Beer, O’Doherty’s Irish Grille, Ripples Riverside Grill, Rock City Grill and Veraci Pizza. Order a pint of Riverkeeper and/or a meal at each one and get a stamp on your Riverwalk guide (available at River City and the restaurants).

Get four stamps and receive a commemorative pint glass (with Numerica making a $5 donation to the Riverkeeper program for each one). For seven stamps, you’re also entered into a drawing for a half-day, six-person rafting trip with ROW Adventure Center.

River City completely rethought the Riverkeeper IPA last year, with a total overhaul of the hop bill following a series of experimental test releases, and fermentation with a cleaner American ale yeast instead of the brewery’s house English yeast.

This year’s tweaks are “more of an evolutionary change,” says Emily Schwartz, River City’s operations manager.

The recipe switched to a caramel malt that’s not as rich and used less of it, resulting in a lower-alcohol beer (6.5 percent by volume, compared to the previous 7.2 percent) that’s lighter, dryer and crisper. “It makes it a bit more sessionable,” Schwartz says.

Hopping was adjusted accordingly. While the International Bitterness Units measure remains at 77, a new hop blend – Falconer’s Flight 7 C’s (a mixture of Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Citra, Cluster, Columbus, Crystal) – was used in the middle of the boil, with fruity Citra and El Dorado hops moved solely to the dry-hopping stage.

That produced a more pronounced tropical, citrusy aroma, although that’s still offset by plenty of piney, spicy and earthy notes from a hop bill that also includes Palisade and Warrior.

“We feel one of the strong points of the Riverkeeper is its balancing act (between hops and malt),” says brewer Todd Grove. “As we brought the malt down, we took the hop charge down as well. We wanted to keep the perceived bitterness the same.”