Tools of the Trade & State of the Art 68 - Industrial Arts Brewing
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of visiting Industrial Arts Brewing Co in West Haverstraw, New York. It just so happened that this wonderful brewery was also having their first canning run and release. Thankfully, I already knew I was in for a treat because I have tried one or two of their beers before at Three's Brewing in Brooklyn. I knew for sure that I had some form of the State of the Art and was more than excited to have the smooth spring-like beer suds soothe my palate. After trying the State of the Art (Again) and trying Tools of the Trade, I knew both warranted a 4-pack purchase to bring back home.
First up was the State of the Art, which for the sake of repetition and brevity, we'll dub SotA. SotA is a honey IPA clocking in at 6.3% ABV and a smooth, sweet taste that is sure to delight people who enjoy a lighter hopped IPA. The honey IPA is an underrated sub-genre of the IPA that I really don't see enough of, and sometimes, not executed to its best. Industrial Arts has brought the best of both worlds when merging honey and an IPA together. It has the light and crisp presence of hops along with a subtle sweetness from the honey that blends into a beautiful liquid melody within a 16 ounce can. The alcohol content is very well hidden with this beer. It never feels too heavy nor heavy-handed with the use of honey. This is spring beer personnified.
Now I went in with a certain expectation for SotA but had no clue what to expect with Tools of the Trade. What I had before me was a 4.9% Extra Pale Ale with very vibrant use of hops in a very drinkable format. This beer is definitely fruity and enjoyable. If SotA is spring... Tools of the Trade is summer. It's a very sessionable beer - the kind that's not aggressively hoppy but will cool you down during a hot beach day. Enjoyable from start to finish, Tools is a fantastic creation of a beer and a very solid entry into an ever growing portfolio of fantastic American session beers.
Both were sipped and enjoyed. I'd definitely seek out both again. Both are great values and won't hurt the wallet too much. I think the Tools of the Trade is a better deal though being $12 a 4-pack but I can see why SotA might ring in a bit heavier on the cash register due to the honey. I am very happy with my purchase of both...and maybe one day, Industrial Arts Brewing will can Hard Hat (Black IPA)... wink wink... your move, Industrial Arts.