(Barrie, Ontario) – This week, Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery of the land up north, is channeling American beer geekery circa 2009. On the agenda…laying claim to the “hoppiest beer in the world.”



Despite these races to the far end of the spectrum being a thing of the past, we occasionally see high octane kitchen sink beers creep up again here in the U.S., too. That said, the session beer movement has taken hold south of the border. Though barrel-aged projects continue to be a prominent feature, “extreme” appears to be all but dead.

Anyway, here is Flying Monkeys’ press release below (courtesy of Facebook):

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As part of Ontario Craft Beer Week, this Tuesday, June 21, at Gambrinus Bistro & Café in London, Ontario, the Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery is unveiling Alpha-fornication, their claim to the World’s Hoppiest Beer!

Peter Chiodo, Founder & Artisan Brewer, says of Alpha-fornication, “Clocking in at 2500 IBUs and 13.3% ABV, Alpha-fornication proves that sometimes people climb mountains just because they’re there. And sometimes, Beer Geeks will try anything on a dare. The hoppiest beer we know of was a meager 2007 IBUs, so we bested that and then some. We Flying Monkeys see extreme beers as the continuing evolution of Craft Brewing and the expansion of Ontario beers. It’s not just a contest of bravado to see who can make the world’s strongest beer (even though now we’ve got the world’s hoppiest one covered); it’s a movement – a movement to showcase the craft and how complex and versatile beer can actually be.”

Named for the alpha acids, or the compounds in the hop plant that are the source of hop bitterness, Alpha-fornication is brewed through highly creative and complex manipulation of the high alpha acid hop varieties, Warrior (17% AAU) and Centennial (11.5% AAU). A hop-steeped wort re-circulated through an additional “Hop Vorlauf” punches up the insane intensity of this brew to a stupefying 2500 IBUs. Keeping with the concepts of extreme brewing, the 13.3% ABV of Alpha-fornication adds bigness to this beer.

When asked about availability, Chiodo noted, “This creation was so highly specialized and it was such a small pilot batch, by the time we kegged 15 litres, in the end, we only saved 6 bottles! We’ll sell them for $45 at the brewery store –first come, first “alpha-fornicated!” It would be a fun beer to sample with a big group of friends.”

Created as part of the Flying Monkeys’ Everest Experiments, a series of extreme beers showcasing the complexity and versatility of artisan brewing, the Flying Monkeys are actively engaging the expanding minds and palates of Ontario’s craft beer drinkers.