What a special brew! Today I’m pouring a 3-way collaboration beer brewed by Mutantis Brewery, Ground Breaker Brewing, and Bierly Brewing. It’s called the Pekko Fresh Hop IPA, named after the hops it showcases. This gluten free fresh hop IPA has a 6.2% ABV and 80 IBU.
The Pekko Fresh Hop IPA is brewed by 3 dedicated gluten free breweries, so you can be absolutely certain that this beer is 100% safe for any Celiac. It features a fruity English ale yeast, and it’s brewed on a base of malted rice and quinoa.
This collaBEERation was brewed and packaged under Mutantis’s roof, but you can source it through any of the three breweries (while it lasts)! Check out the video below to see how it pours. I’ll include a few links at the end of the review to some other collaboration beers brewed by 100% dedicated gluten free breweries!
The Taste Test
Pekko Fresh Hop IPA
The Pekko Fresh Hop IPA pours with a moderate haze and a orange hue that ranges from subtle to sunny, depending on the lighting. It poured with an eager head (it literally formed a head on the top of the can as I started to pour!) that seems to be fading slowly.
This gluten free fresh hop IPA sports both fruit and carmel on the nose. My initial thought during my first sip is “Damn, that’s smooth.” And it is. This fresh hop glides over the palate with caramely sweetness and earthy hops, only to gently amp the bitterness almost immediately following the swallow. It continues to build and linger until the next sip.
There is nothing sharp about this beer, but the hops are powerful and they carry significant weight on the palate, yet they come on gently somehow. This 3 way collab has the smoothness of a fresh hop, with the bitterness of a PNW IPA—without the punch.
When the Pekko first hits your lips, you first notice the soft texture and the malt, but that malt character is quickly joined by the herb-y Pekkos and then the two walk off into the sunset together leaving a bitter wake that you just gently rock into while you taste buds are all blissed out. Can you tell I’m dreaming of the beach on this cold Fall evening?
This beer is fantastic. I wanted to get this review out as fast as possible so that you all could go scoop up what’s left of this beer. You may even be able to order some if you get to them quick! As I mentioned earlier, you should be able to track this beer down at any of the three collaborators: Mutantis, Ground Breaker, or Bierly. I’d be willing to bet it was too limited of a release to put in stores, so skip the search and head straight to the source.
Collaboration beers are my favorite to review because there’s so much energy and story crafted into these beers and their creation. There’s so much personality infused and so many boundaries pushed when you get a bunch of gluten free brew nerds together…it’s always a special treat to review these creations.
Here’s to hoping these breweries keep doing what they do best!
{"id":null,"mode":"text_link","open_style":"in_modal","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/bestglutenfreebeers.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/bestglutenfreebeers.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":500,"top_media_type":"featured_image","featured_image_url":"https:\/\/bestglutenfreebeers.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/cropped-BGFB-Logo-Stamp-e1535731527199-200x200.jpg","featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"buying me a beer for my efforts","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Submit Tip","payment_request_label":"Best Gluten Free Beers","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"Like what I do for the gluten free beer community?","form_subtitle":"Show your support by treating me to a cold one! \ud83c\udf7a","currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"CHEERS and thank you for your support!","payment_confirmation_title":"Best Gluten Free Beers","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip?"},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip?"}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to tip Best Gluten Free Beers?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to tip Best Gluten Free Beers?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to tip Best Gluten Free Beers?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}