Happy new year, beer lovers!
I’m kicking off 2025 with a relatively straight-forward column this week.
This week’s feature isn’t a new beer, but it’s one that has earned multiple big-name awards over the years and is widely available across British Columbia.
The Naked Fox West Coast IPA from Main Street Brewing in Vancouver comes in at 6.8% ABV (alcohol by volume) with 65 IBUs (international bitterness units).
It won Gold in the IPA category at the Canada Beer Cup in 2022, as well as silver in the American Style IPA category at the 2022 Canadian Beer Awards and 2021 World Beer Awards.
According to Main Street, the Naked Fox is made with Cascade, Talus and HBC 682 hops.
The beer features aromas of sandalwood and grapefruit, along with notes of citrus, pine and resin in the taste.
It’s certainly an old school west coast IPA, starting with a fruity sweetness that is nicely balanced with a delicious malt backbone.
At 65 IBUs, there’s certainly a hop bitterness that comes with this beer, but it’s milder than you might expect given the high number.
As they often say in the sports world, availability is the best ability, and that’s certainly a selling point for the Naked Fox.
It’s a fantastic beer in its own right, of course, but the fact that you can find it at BC Liquor Stores across the province means there’s no excuse not to grab a four pack and try it out this weekend.
Josh Duncan is the NowMedia news director and a craft beer lover. Reach him at [email protected]. His beer column appears every Saturday afternoon in this space.
