Old-School IPA at Fratellos in Oshkosh

Once upon a time (about 8 years ago or so) you’d order an IPA around these parts and they’d hand you a glass of amber, nearly opaque beer with a head of creamy froth that would cling to your face like an albino mustache. It was strong and rough beer made from a pile of malt and an even larger pile of Cascade hops that would bite your tongue - hard - with every drink. This was back before brewers and drinkers began name checking boutique hops with la-di-da names such as Citra, Simcoe and Amarillo (with silent “LL”). This was back before the rise of the so-called West-Coast IPA where the malt is asked to stand back and shut up while the hops go dancing around screaming “look at me!” I’m not bitching (too much) about the transformation of the American IPA; I like some of those West Coast beers. But lately when I think IPA, I’ve been yearning for those old-school Midwestern IPAs like Hop Hearty (retired) from New Glarus that were not quite so dainty as beers such as Moon Man (thriving) from New Glarus.

Anyway, before I wander too far into my dotage, lets get to the beer in question. Foxylicious IPA is now on tap at Fratellos in Oshkosh and it’s one of those decidedly old-school IPAs. It lumbers up with a big belly full of fuming malt and hops. The aroma tells you you’re gonna drink a beer and not some overrefined hop tea. The malt coats your tongue for a moment and then the Cascade kicks in and does it’s work. This is an unapologetically bitter ale with a bold, citrusy flavor that would go perfectly with a big, greasy burger and a plate of fries. And at 7% ABV, giving it a cushion of food to land on might not be a bad idea. If you want to look under the hood and see how this thing runs, go HERE for the specs.