Barrier Brewing Company Money IPA and travailing the supermarket
When the market's not so super.
The beer: Barrier Brewing Co. Money IPA
ABV: 7.3%
How we got it: Note the headline. This beer came from the supermarket. Read on to learn more harrowing details…
Photo by Barrier Brewing Co.
What they say: This is the Oceanside, New York, brewery’s flagship brew. Barrier boasts this beer is, “Light in color, light in body, heavy in hops! Bready pale malts do their best to support liberal hop additions.” Also, it’s Action Bronson approved.
What you say: This beer has a 3.94 on Untappd and a 4.3 on BeerAdvocate.
What Mike says —
Today’s $$$$ brew is the Money IPA from Barrier Brewing Company. The can art is just outstanding. The mantra on the can -- also outstanding: “You got Money on your mind. Now you hold Money in your hand. A few mill and it smells oh so stanky. Piece of advice? Don't save your Money. Party like a rockstar. Get to poppin' bottles. Spray it in the air like you just don't care. Because when you go through all your Money, we'll make more. Cha-Ching!"
I grabbed this can during a recent corona run to the supermarket. Its purchase marks some improvement in my own personal food shopping anxiety. I’ve been to the supermarket three times during the pandemic. The first time was nothing short of terrifying; I got the food on my list and got the hell out. The second trip, slightly less terrifying but still not great. Then by my third pandemic food shop I felt comfortable enough to linger for a moment at the craft beer fridge and select some pints, including the Money.
Shifting gears to something more important than my personal Covid shopping peccadillos — let’s talk beer freshness.
We discussed in an earlier newsletter how righteous it was to get ultra fresh beer delivered during these times. In regards to my local supermarket’s beer fridge, we’re dealing with a less radical situation. The canned date on this can of Money: February 2020. You’ll note that that is the wintertime and we’re drinking this in the late-Spring.
Before I give you my take on this beer, a quick plot thickener...A tipster with some inside information on this particular supermarket chain informs us that the store is known for buying up the leftover supply of beer that didn’t make it to the shelves and fridges when it was fresh. They advised us to keep our heads on a swivel in the store’s beer aisle and check those dates on the cans. This is the first I’m personally hearing about this business model. My reaction to all this: a pretty substantial hmmmmmmm.
Armed with that tip, the February canned date on this Money can is concerning. Cursory research, however, suggests that beer stays good for six- to nine months after it’s packaged. On the other hand, the experts say that IPAs should be drank within a month and ideally no longer than 3-months after they’ve been packaged. We’re at 3-plus months on this can of Money.
Proceeding with caution, I cracked it open and poured it in a frosty pint mug. The appearance is immediately reassuring. It’s got a vibrant yellow hue. I also managed to get a nice frothy, foamy head with the pour. Nothing immediately alarming here.
The first sip serves you that classic West Coast bitter aftertaste. If this beer is showing its age here I’m not picking up on it initially.
Where I do suspect the age is weighing the Money down is on the refreshment level. It doesn’t have that satisfying smoothness going down. Thus, this particular can of beer becomes a slow-drinker (fortunately, I’ve got the frosty mug keeping it chilled). It takes me about an hour to consume.
Overall on the age thing, I don’t think I’ve been deterred from buying a 3-month old but I might avoid anything older than six months.