WRITTEN BY SHANE FISHER (@SFISH521 & @GOOFYFOOTEDBREWINGCO)

2SP Brewing Company celebrated their 2nd anniversary this July and brewed a beer for the occasion that was a definite crowd pleaser. The brewery has experienced success in the past two years, nabbing two medals at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival, expanding their brewhouse and increasing their distribution.  The brewery and their respective fans including Ben Franklin himself celebrated the occasion by cutting cake, toasting their Champagne Wit, tapping a new beer every hour of the celebration and pouring pints from a firkin of their 2nd Anniversary Ale with even more Cascade Hops which was delicious.

I first enjoyed this brew while attending the celebration, surrounded by friends and familiar faces.  The brewery has been a Friday-night mainstay for my girlfriend Natalie and I since she first took me there a few months after we began dating.  Over the past two years, we’ve had many laughs in the taproom, drove brewer Bob home when his car was in the shop, helped with canning Delco Lager, ASAP and Bellcracker with Dave, Chris and Joe, and escorted Brewery Cat back into the brewery, getting bit and scratched whilst doing so.  While I missed the first anniversary, I was not going to miss this one, especially if there was an accompanying IPA.  

Rather than brewing the “it” beer right now (New England Style IPA) for the occasion, brewers Bob and Ruby stuck to their roots and created this bold IPA with 200 lbs of Cascade Hops.  As soon as I cracked open the can this evening and poured it into my glass, I was immediately brought back to the fun of the 2nd Anniversary party.  With intense aromas of pine, floral and grapefruit and a rich golden amber color, I couldn’t wait for a sip of this beer.  Upon sipping, I was greeted with a healthy dose of pine, citrus and the subtle grapefruit bitterness with a nice medium mouthfeel and dry finish which I love in a good IPA.  At 6% abv, this traditional American IPA was built to party.  With many breweries exploring every possible way to infuse their IPAs with different fruity flavors, this IPA was a breath of fresh air, letting the malt, hops, yeast and “wudder” do all of the talking, expressing the flavor profiles of this beer without adding any additional flavors.

While the kegs may have kicked at the brewery, you still have a chance to get your hands on a four pack if you stop by their taproom in Aston, PA.  With the team over at 2SP have been releasing new beers at their taproom just about every week to fill their 21 tap lines, your visit to pick up some cans of this delicious IPA will be well worth the trip.  Along with cans of the 2nd Anniversary Ale, you will also find special releases, large format bottles and flagship beers in the case, so stock up for this upcoming holiday weekend and enjoy a brew from one of the area’s finest breweries.

Cheers to many more years 2SP!