🚨Nerd Alert!🚨

By Kendell Worden, Hop City Krog General Manager

While you know we’d never use “nerd” pejoratively, perhaps a better headline would be, “Look’ee here, connoisseurs!” We have a jaw-dropping assembly of Interesting Lagers from Noteworthy Producers™.

Let’s start with Lena 10° from Schilling Beer Co, a Světlé pivo (pale Czech lager) that is a symphony of small-beer simplicity featuring whole-cone Saaz hops. ($17.99/4pk)

Not excited yet? What if we told you Schilling paired up with DC’s OGs at Bluejacket to brew A Look at Tomorrow, another Czech-style pale lager to celebrate the 15th anniversary of legendary DC beer bar, ChurchKey. ($15.99/4pk)

Seeking something a little more off-beat? How about a smoked Märzen that’s a collab between the multidisciplinary wizards down at Green Bench and the justifiably-worshipped lager-masters at Bierstadt? In that case, may we present Spark, a double-decocted 5.6% savory treat, brewed in part using beechwood smoked malt. ($15.99/4pk)

Let us briefly - and perhaps controversially - stretch the definition of “lager” to include the zedonk-like hybrid style, the cold IPA. We have a word-class example of one in the form of Jester King’s Ice Grip. Fermented cold by Kveik yeast, it is a perfectly bitter, easy-drinking crispy boi. ($17.99/4pk)

So, yes: ‘tis the time of Wiesn, Märzen and all the PSL-inspo you could ever hope, but you know Hop City delivers the goods for all palates, regardless of season!

HEMP BEVS OF THE WEEK: CALI SOBER
We chuckled at the tongue-in-cheek branding, then tasted Cali Sober’s hemp-derived, zero-proof cocktails and were impressed by the nuanced, sophisticated flavors. ($18.99/4pk) Each 12oz can contains 5mg of THC and 0.0% ABV, with 3 fantastic flavors available: Berry Ginger Fizz (20 calories), Paloma Spritz (30 calories), and Ranch Water (15 calories).