Bear Republic: Grand Am Pale Ale

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Bear Republic Brewing in Healdsburg is best known for their iconic Racer 5 IPA. As good as Racer 5 is, it unfortunately overshadows the rest of Bear Republicโ€™s excellent line-up. Case in point is Bear Republicโ€™s Grand Am Pale Ale, a hop forward Pale Ale that could probably pass for an IPA if you didnโ€™t know any better. Grand Am has a lot of the classic piney and grapefruit flavors youโ€™ll find in West Coast beers, but more restrained in balance with the sturdy malt backbone than an IPA. The result is a drinkable and more accessible beer for those who prefer a little less hop wallop.

Thereโ€™s more to Bear Republic than just brewing great beer. Bear Republic is making big investments to become carbon neutral. They are installing the worldโ€™s first bioelectrically enhanced wastewater pretreatment plant. This system will provide 25% of their hot water heating and nearly 50% of their electricity. The system will also allow Bear Republic to reuse up to 25% of the water for cleaning and wash down. Additionally, Bear Republic has installed a 30 kWatt solar panel array, with plans for an additional 130 kWatts.