Park Day Pale Ale

 

In San Francisco, you have to enjoy summer while you can because it won’t last long. You could say the same for Park Day Pale Ale, a light and lemony warm-weather beer destined to be sipped in the sunshine.

Grainbill:
5.0 lb Maris Otter
1.0 lb Vienna Malt
0.25 lb Crystal Malt 20°L

Hops:
0.5 oz Sorachi Ace (14.9%) - added first wort, boiled 60 m
1.0 oz Citra™ (12.0%) - steeped after boil
0.5 oz Sorachi Ace (14.9%) - steeped after boil

Yeast:
1.0 ea White Labs WLP051 California Ale V

Park Day is a deep straw color with a pillowy white head and medium, well-carbonated body. The aroma is bready with hints of oily citrus, while the taste is a well-balanced blend of lemon peel, light toast, and tropical fruit like mango and papaya. It's tasty, refreshing, and extremely quaffable.

The summery fruit flavor comes from a combined dose of two hops:  Sorachi Ace (a strain developed by Sapporo in Japan that's known for its lemon twang) and Citra (a proprietary hop that delivers tropical notes and isn't always easy to get a hold of).

As summer (and my supply of this beer) come to an end, I'm looking forward to transitioning into heartier winter brews. But in the search for the perfect Pale Ale, Park Day is a solid step forward.