Last week whilst dining at the Firkin Tavern, I was encouraged by my server to try a new beer they had just brought in to grace the legendary Firkin taps. I was informed that is was an IPA (India Pale Ale) brewed on Long Island by the Blue Point Brewing Company, and that is was a beer made of only the finest hops. Being a fan of the sparkling finish and crisp bite of IPA’s in general, I was moved to thinking about trying something new. Under normal conditions I will more or less ignore the recommendations of my server and stick with the tried and true. But once I heard its clever name, Hoptical Illusion, my decision was all but made - this new beer I would surely try.

To my delight the beer was not only satisfactory but flat out excellent, prompting me to pound 3 pints in a half-hours time. I was shocked to find this beverage a worthy rival to my favorite all-time micro brew which hails from Triumph Brewery in Princeton, New Jersey. Unfortunately the beer to which i just referred, Bengal Gold, can only be purchased and drunk at the bar itself, whereas Hoptical Illusion is a beer I can now buy in a six-pack to enjoy in the friendly confines of my home.

So if you enjoy a brew with a crisp finish and a nice kick, and you are a lover of the hoppy flavor - Hoptical Illusion is a beer you ought to try (it is kid tested; mother approved). As far as comparing it to a more mainstream beer, it is similar to albeit much better than Sierra Nevada.

I would be remiss if I did not remind everyone of Benjamin Franklin’s sage like wisdom, “beer is proof that god loves us.”

Now I wonder what Homer Simpson thinks about beer …

Image Used in this Post

Hoptical Illusion image courtesy of Flickr user MontageMan published under the CC license.

Popularity: 13% [?]