Every beer drinker has that one beer they turn to time and time again, an old faithful that never lets them down. For many, this beer is usually a staple of sorts or at least what one might call a “shelfie” in that it is readily and widely available. In some cases, this is the beer that started it all for you. Perhaps it was a pioneering craft brew that enlightened you to the world of beer that actually tastes good, or perhaps it is a beer that made you completely rethink what you thought you knew about a particular style. Whatever it may be, this is a beer that made an impact on you and is burned into your taste buds forever. In our monthly column The Beers That Made Us, we talk with brewers about the beers that have made the biggest impact on them in terms of their personal taste and love of craft beer, as well as how it inspired their personal approach to brewing. 

In the realm of Pacific Northwest breweries, few have managed to bridge the gap between old and new like Seattle’s Georgetown Brewing. Since roughly 2003, Georgetown has been brewing up award-winning IPAs and pale ales alongside more classic styles that strike the rare balance of being both accessible to all people while always holding the respect of beer nerds. Though they didn’t even start canning their beer until 2016, many brewers and beer lovers will attest that Georgetown is their ultimate fridge beer. In the lineup of their beers, it seems fair to say that Bodhizafa reigns supreme. This IPA is both timeless and modern at the same time, and it also happens to make up 40% of Georgetown’s total production, according to their website. Much like Breakside IPA out of Portland, Bodhizafa is the go-to beer that is reliably on draft and available in stores while also holding its own next to any hype beer. The mastermind behind this beer is none other than Georgetown’s research and development brewer Matt Edwards. Along with a slew of other popular beers, Edwards has put his stamp on the legacy of Georgetown in a humble fashion. For this reason, we talked to Edwards about one of the beers that influenced his own journey as a brewer. 

Beer: 

Fort George Sunrise Oatmeal Pale Ale

Matt E: There are several I can think of off the top of my head, but the one that really stands out for me is Fort George Brewing Sunrise Oatmeal Pale Ale

Your first time:

Matt E: I think it was around 10 years ago when I was at a bottle shop with a buddy who worked at another brewery and we were picking out beers for each other to try and he handed me this tall orange can of Sunrise Oatmeal Pale Ale and said, “Oh, you have to try this one!” I’m glad he picked it out because at the time I was really only drinking dark malt-forward beers and chances are I would have not reached for a pale ale. I was immediately caught by surprise when the beer tender poured it into a pint for me. I really hadn’t seen a pale like this one before. It was almost electric yellow in color with a dusty-like haze and there was no apparent usage of darker crystal malts or heavy additions of “C” hops that were really common at the time in hop-forward beers. The flavor and aroma was spicy navel orange all the way through and it finished with a quick clean snap that left me pretty refreshed. I think it was really at this moment that [changed] my perspective on what pales and IPAs could potentially be.

What makes it special:

Matt E: For me this beer was special because in some ways it was familiar, but also new and exciting. It had taken a classic style and gave it a modern expression by letting some modern hops be the showcase. Sunrise Oatmeal Pale Ale in my opinion wasn’t trying to wear multiple hats in the sense of trying to be malty, hoppy and bitter all at the same time. Instead it felt very focused in its profile kind of like a how an F1 car is built to zip around a track or a golf driver is designed to smack a ball a great distance. This pale ale did something specific, did it well and, in my opinion, was very ahead of its time.

Why this beer is influential:

Matt E: Sunrise was influential to me because it completely altered the preconceived notion of what I thought beers should be and because of that it helped me view beers as to what they could be. Sunrise gave me the opportunity to self-reflect and reassess my prior experiences with beer and the industry in general. Looking back, I can say I was really going through the motions at work and wasn’t allowing myself to get excited about beer like I was when I first got my foot in the door. I think learning to become excited and sincere about something again is pretty cool and maybe a bit underrated in the emotional win column. I highly recommend trying it if the opportunity should arise. I guess it would be like going to couples therapy to become a better listener, develop a greater awareness of perspective, and learn to critically self-access, but with beer of course.

Why beer drinkers should pay attention:

Matt E: Because it’s just a darn tasty beer.

How this beer inspired your brewery:

Matt E: I was heavily influenced by Sunrise (along with Breakside IPA) when designing the recipe for Bodhizafa IPA. I really wanted Bodhizafa to elicit a similar response with beer drinkers when they tried it for the first time that I had with Sunrise. My intent was not to copy the Sunrise, but hopefully copy the initial reaction and that reaction would be, “Hey, I normally don’t like ‘insert beer style,’ but I like this one,” which in turn would allow them to continue exploring beers and going outside their comfort zone when doing so. I unfortunately have not had it for quite some time now, but I do think about it often when trying to design new beers.

Follow The Beers That Made Us series for more interviews with the founders of Russian River Brewing, Cloudburst Brewing, De Garde, Chuckanut, Hair of the Dog, Firestone Walker and others on the beers that inspired them.