There’s nothing wrong with bringing a popular beer to your office happy hour. Like that ubiquitous pale ale with the green label. It’s a safe choice. A common-denominator choice. You totally expect to see it there. But when was the last time anybody got excited about it?
We believe life is too short to be spent drinking the same-old, same-old. So when a discussion popped up on the Atlassian Community site about weird and wonderful beers, our ears perked up. Here are the top picks from around the world.
Sprecher Root Beer
There’s no better way to delight the folks opting out of alcohol than to bring a snazzy soda. And this one has serious attitude. If there’s any left over (there probably won’t be), it makes for a killer root beer float. ABV: 0% IBUs: –
– from Ted in Texas
Dogfish Head’s 60-minute IPA
A bit of pine, a bit of citrus, and heavy on the hops. No wonder: its name comes from the 60 additions of hops added during a 60-minute boil during the brewing process. ABV: 6% IBUs: 60
– from Bridget in California
Triporteur’s Special Roast Oak
Show up with this Belgian brew in tow, and you’re sure to wow the crowd. It’s aged in oak barrels before bottling, which softens the tannins and lets it’s vanilla notes shine through. It’s not widely available outside Europe, but can be purchased online and shipped. ABV: 9.2% IBUs: 45
– from Maarten in Belgium
Alchemist’s Heady Topper
Hop-heads rejoice! The good folks at Alchemist only distribute regionally, but this double IPA may be worth the drive to Vermont. In fact, it has such strong cult following that their taproom limits purchases of Head Topper to four 4-packs. ABV: 8% IBUs: 120 (no, that’s not a typo)
– from Josh in Massachusetts
Troubadour’s Imperial Stout
Break out the snifters and pour a glass of this rich, roasty stout. It’s re-fermented in the bottle, making it extra potent. And speaking of bottles, it comes in a 750ml. Because they keep it classy. ABV: 9% IBUs: 45
– from Monique in California
Muskoka Brewery’s Summerwiess
Sold seasonally, this beer was clearly designed for summer – right down to the camping- and pool-friendly can it comes in. Come for the light, refreshing body, stay for the hints of banana and clove. ABV: 5% IBUs: 13
– from Danny in Canada
Great Lake’s Edmund Fitzgerald Porter
Bring a six-pack of the Edmund and a couple bars of dark chocolate for folks to nibble on. The roasted barley malts will keep you warm n’ toasty, even when the gales of November come early. ABV: 6% IBU: 37
– from Sarah in Minnesota
Bira 91’s Blonde Lager
After exploding onto the scene in India, this oh-so-hip beer is now distributed across North America and Asia Pacific as well. The brewer claims it’s light enough to be a lunchtime beer, which we can neither confirm nor deny. ABV: 5% IBUs: 21
– from Poornima in India
Ayinger Ur-weisse
It’s flavor is surprisingly complex for a wheat beer, likely because it’s also brewed with dark malts for a yeasty taste sensation. The dark malts also take credit for its amber color. It’ll transport you to Oktoberfest no matter when you drink it. ABV: 5.4% IBUs: –
– from Andrew in Texas
We’ll be back with another “off-topic” post in 2 weeks. Heads-up: you might want to schedule an optometrist appointment between now and then, because we’ve got illusions that’ll leave you wondering if you really can believe your eyes.
Until then… work happy, be awesome, and don’t forget to have a little fun.
. . .
What did we miss? “Hop” on over to the original discussion on Atlassian Community and share your favorite brew. If you’re an Atlassian Cloud user, you already have a Community account. If not, creating one is free and takes just a moment. See you there!