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 Republic’s excellent line-up. Case in point is Bear Republic’s Grand Am Pale Ale, a hop forward Pale Ale that could probably pass for an IPA if you didn’t know any better. Grand Am has a lot of the classic piney and grapefruit flavors you’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.

There’s more to Bear Republic than just brewing great beer. Bear Republic is making big investments to become carbon neutral. They are installing the world’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.