A Nordic Pale Ale: MVHBC’s Rallying Cry
Merrimack Valley HomeBrew Club gained prominent attention among homebrew and commercial brewing circles with their third place showing in the 2019 Boil Rumble. The competition, made possible through a collaboration of Melvin Brewing, MoreBeer!, and The Brewing Network, gives homebrew clubs across the United States an opportunity to submit a brew that is worthy of best-in-show judging. The six finalist beers are canned and drafted to their local markets for commercial sale.
February 4, 2019
Veteran club brewer Michael Switzer wasn’t sure what he got himself into with his experimental New England IPA that eventually became known as Viking Luau. This Norwegian-style recipe called for a no boil, but pasteurized, process that required a 95-degree fermentation before reaching terminal gravity after just 32 hours. The yeast strain was Hornindale Kveik. Unorthodox? Yes, but as for most MVHBC brews, a club sampling was in order.
Club Discovery
A February 9 club meeting served as the launch pad for what became the club’s greatest achievement to date. After members sampled Michael’s experimental and delicious brew, club president Marco Borba knew they discovered the club’s entry in the Boil Rumble. By early March, the entry was bottled and mailed to Pittsburgh, CA for judging.
Was this experimental brew a long shot to place among 80 rival clubs? Initially, many members probably agreed. But this unexpected stand out that featured unconventional techniques and a rediscovered Norwegian yeast strain added up to a delicious twist on the popular NEIPA style. It was worth a shot.
It wasn’t long before Viking Luau and the “Kveik Scream” quickly became MVHBC’s rallying cry and fortified the club to become true standouts at Homebrew Con in June 2019.
Going Commerical
Viking Luau raised MVHBC to new heights as Melvin Brewing awarded club members Michael, Phil Bond, Aaron Conole, John LaBelle, and Timothy Lauzon the opportunity to brew Viking Luau at their brew pub in San Diego, CA. Melvin’s head brewer, Bobby Oliver, joined them in the process.
Soon, seven barrels of the unorthodox NEIPA, sampled just six months ago at a private club meeting, was ready for commercial sale.
Eye on the Future
While MVHBC was disappointed in coming up just short of taking home Boil Rumble’s ultimate honor (congratulations, Eastbay Homebrew Club!) the experience galvanized members with newfound motivation for homebrewing excellence. There are plans for future Boil Rumble entries. Expectations are tempered knowing MVHBC cannot always submit a beer that places with excellence, but a heightened confidence can sometimes be just as a good as a worthy recipe.