Love at first sip with Hop in the Box

“He was a wise man who invented beer.” – Unknown

This article will take you 1 minutes 35 seconds to read – written by Enzo Lauretta

«It was a dark and stormy night. Suddenly, a shot rang out! A door slammed.» Actually, It was a friday night, Friday 17th March 2017, considered by many as one of the unluckiest days of the year, but not by me because I received my Hop in the Box with a selection of estonian craft beers. It was also Saint Patrick’s Day, so what a better time to receive a box of beers?

What is Hop in the Box and what does this have to do with estonian craft beer?

Hop in the Box is a craft beer club that sends a monthly selection of awesome beers to its members. March was dedicated to Tanker, a refreshingly different estonian craft beer produced in small village 20 km outside Tallinn.

When I was leaving in Milan I had my craft beer trusted pub, which was one of my favourite place to hang out with friends, but here in Madrid I still haven’t found a similar place. Generally speaking my ideal craft beer consumption should be at home, but I don’t have a trusted shop and I know it’s not the same with supermarket beers.

So thanks to Hop in the Box I had the chance to know more about the story of these guys who like to break the rules of tradition and experiment with different raw materials, sourcing the freshest ingredients from farmers to create new and interesting flavors, since they started they have produced more than 60 different beers.

I was really impressed by the labels of the beers, they are all well designed with different graphics but as a writer I know that you should never judge a book buy the cover, so the same rule is for beers and labels.

Now, since the most important step in experiencing craft beer is tasting it, let taste it!

8 bottles, 4 tastes, all completely different. I enjoyed pairing the beer with my home cooking, or just tasting a refreshing pale ale from the fridge without a tapa.

Sweet or Bitter? Crispy or Fruit? Blonde or Dark? Sometimes, it is all a matter of taste, isn’t it?

I want to focus on my favourite, it was like meeting the love of your life and you know you can stay together just for two days, until the next love at first sip, probably in the next Hop in the Box, from now on Hop(e) in the Box. If you are curious my very favourite between the 4 tastes was «Taiskuu», a white IPA beer, 6,5 % ABV, thanks to the Belgian Esters and fruity sweet aroma that you can immediately notice.