Should Barley Brown's Beer Give Up Hops for Chili Brews?

Cerveza Negra Caliente is a great chili beer

By Martin Cizmar

If I were Tyler Brown, I'd just give up the hop thing. Sure, his Baker City brewery is best-known for hopbombs like Pallet Jack, Hand Truck, Ratchet Strap and Turmoil, the Cascadian Dark Ale that took gold at the World Beer Cup earlier this month. But if you ask me, the brewery's very best beers are its spicy, chili-infused creations. The Citra Hot Blonde was one of our top 10 beers in 2013, and the Cerveza Negra Caliente might follow suit. This dark beer has the beautiful color and subdued maltiness of fresh-kegged Negra Modelo, plus some gentle, juicy heat from jalapeños and rounded depth from cacao nibs. Every sip begets the next—it's dangerously poundable. Chili peppers are a lot cheaper than hops, Brown told me. So why not sell off his contracted hops, and roll out a line of hot craft creations? Recommended. MARTIN CIZMAR.

Willamette Week

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.