Clown Shoes got off on the wrong foot (pun intended) with me. Some of their names seemed chosen for shock value and attention. Plus ever since Stephen King’s “It”, clowns and I don’t mix. Even when my dad started donning clown make-up to entertain at his church, I was still spooked. But now, since some of their beers are wending their way to Los Angeles, I had to put the maxim of “It’s the beer” first and forget the backstory. So on to Hoppy Feet….
For me, a good black IPA has an equal balance between roast and hops. Not many get that. But happily Hoppy Feet does. Good citrus bitter notes intermingle with the the medium (not milk-not dark) chocolate notes. And it packs a punch of bubbles and hops that melts into a caramel taste at the very end. But the balance remains from the first sip to the last.
Oh and in my new tradition, here is what I am doing outside of craft beer. Reading The Capital of the World about the race to be the city to host the United Nations. South Dakota had a moment where it might have been the place instead of New York. Crazy. And I am still raving about Much Ado About Nothing. It may not be playing anymore since it is the silly blockbuster season and the White House has to be saved by Channing Tatum but when it comes out on video/streaming, watch it. Funny stuff and a classic story.
