This Is My Blood: 90 Minute IPA

One of my least favorite things about buying craft beer at a bar is bars' insistence that certain beers be served in 10 oz or 8 oz glasses, instead of the classic pint. As someone who has traditionally drank all liquids at the same (quick) pace, it irks me when a fucking snifter is placed in front of me. I'm going to drink that shit in like three minutes. It seemed like a rip-off.

I mean, look, I get it. The beers served in smaller quantities are the stronger beers. The food and alcohol service industry has created what is called the "standard drink." You know about this already... at least, if you've had to take an alcohol class in school. 12 oz of average ABV% beer is one standard drink, as is 5 oz of wine, or 1.5 oz of liquor. So as the ABV% goes up, the volume must come down. I get it, mathematically.

I even get it economically, for the first time in my life. I've always assumed that this was a way for bars to rip you off—you're getting less beer!!!—but I've learned that it's the only way for bars to survive, financially. Stronger beers are more expensive because they are harder to make; the bars buying them have to turn around and sell them, again, at a higher price. So instead of charging double for a pint, they charge normal price for a half-pint.

But does the math really work out? Because you can look on a beer menu and see that the lower-volume, higher-alcohol-content beers are also much higher priced. Bars take advantage of your need to be snobby and order a fancy beer. It's a swindle!

That's why I bought 90 Minute IPA for this entry. Compared to the rest of the imperial IPAs at my Port Richmond bottle shop, this one was like $2.50. Not too bad for a 9% bitter and clean-tasting brew.

NOTES

BEER: 90 Minute IPA

GENRE: American Imperial IPA

ABV: 9.0%

BREWED BY: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

LOCATION: Milton, DE

PURCHASED AT: ABV Beverages on Richmond Street

PAIRED WITH: Primo's Sharp Italian and a great conversation about the movie Overboard (coming soon to a blog near you)

GRADE: 4 pukes out of 5

BEER COUNT: 102 (I drank two gin/seltzers too, but I'm still three "standard drinks" below par)