Little Willow Night Walks

Night Walks is a New England IPA from Little Willow. The style is known for a hazy, opaque, pale-gold to orange pour, and for putting hop aroma and flavor well ahead of bitterness. The listing gives no ABV, IBU or hop bill, so what follows describes the style in general, not this beer's measured profile. Expect a soft, full-feeling body from oats or wheat in the grist, and tropical and stone-fruit hop character such as mango, pineapple, peach and citrus peel. Some examples also add a resinous or lightly grassy edge. Bitterness in New England IPAs is usually restrained, so the finish tends to be juicy and round, not dry and piney like a West Coast IPA. Because hop aroma fades quickly, this is a beer to drink fresh. Check the packaging date if one is printed, and keep the can cold until you open it. Serve it at roughly 6 to 8°C (43 to 46°F). Fridge-cold dulls the fruit, and anything much warmer makes the soft body feel heavy. A tulip or a wide-mouthed IPA glass is the best fit, since the curved bowl holds the aromatics and lets you smell them as you drink. A standard shaker pint works if that's what you have. Pour most of the can, then swirl the last bit to lift any settled yeast and hop haze into the glass. That sediment is normal in an unfiltered hazy beer. At the table, the juicy hop profile suits dishes with some heat and fat. Good matches include fish tacos with lime, chicken wings with a mild or medium sauce, Thai or Indian curries, and carnitas or al pastor. Burgers with sharp cheddar also work, as do creamy, tangy cheeses like goat cheese. A fruit-forward hop character usually handles spice well, so it can cut through chili heat without the harsh bitterness a more aggressive IPA would add.