3 Stars Brewing Company Ghost White IPA
Where in Town: 3 Stars Brewing Company, 6400 Chillum Place NW
Price: $11.75/four-pack
Tallboy Oh Boy
Craft beers are more and more often appearing in large-format cans, a vessel formerly relegated to watery beers with names ending in “ice” and “lite.” Not yet sold on the allure of aluminum? Unlike glass bottles or growlers, cans let in no light, making it impossible for ultraviolet rays to skunk the beer inside. And unlike bottle caps and corks, the airtight seal of a can completely eliminates the threat of oxidation. Sure, mining bauxite for aluminum cans isn’t exactly green, but crushed cans take up little space, making them easier to transport, and are more efficiently recycled. As for tallboys, they’re just more of a good thing (four ounces more, to be precise, and the ideal size for sharing).
Who You Gonna Call?
D.C.’s 3 Stars Brewing Company began selling its Citra Lemon Saison and Ghost White IPA in tall boys last week. The latter—a 5.9-percent-alcohol, hopped wheat beer—is right at home in a 16-ounce can. My shiny cylinder poured with an unusually generous and frothy cream-colored head. Its aroma pairs luscious tangerine and tropical fruit with the acidic bite of citrus. With Pilsner and caramel malts and a mix of Amarillo, Simcoe, Citra, and Columbus hops, this white IPA offers the perfect balance of hop bitterness, sweet fruit, and bread flavors. But Ghost’s defining characteristic is its ultra-silky feel, the result of a wheat-heavy grain bill. Find cans bearing 3 Stars’ familiar Mexican sugar skull image on shelves throughout the District.
Photo by Tammy Tuck