The Case of the Serial Brewer

by Joshua M. Bernstein, Posted Oct 19th 2010 @ 5:00PM

JustBeer Photo Courtesy Just Beer

Most beer bottles present the bare facts: name, style, brewery, alcohol percentage and perhaps ingredients. It's the liquid, not the words, that matter most.

But over in Westport, Massachusetts, the folks at brewery Just Beer see their bottles as a novel opportunity to, well, make a novel. Last week, the brewery released "The Case of the IPA," a hard-boiled, hop-flavored noir serial told over the course of a dozen 22-ounce bottles -- a case, if you may. Move over, Raymond Chandler.

"A 12-ounce bottle just doesn't have enough space," explains owner Bill Russell. "But when we launched in 22-ounce bottles last fall, we realized there was enough room to put a story." Brewer Harry Smith proposed the idea to Paull Goodchild, an author and cellar master for Russell's family-run Westport Rivers winery. Goodchild retreated to his writing room, churning out a serialized, '20s-era detective story that's "chock-full of puns, idiocy and brewing references," Russell says, laughing. The story, which starts with a summons from wealthy brewer Cornelius Fuggle, was dubbed The Case of the IPA. To match that, Smith concocted a hoppy, aromatic IPA.

"It's a unique beer just for this story," says Russell, who cautions drinkers to "read responsibly." "We didn't just slap a label on one of our beers."

So is everyone purchasing a 12-bottle case in order to take in the full tale?

"We're seeing people buy single bottles," Russell says. "Some people just want to drink the beer."

Filed Under: Drinks
Tags: beer