Derek Warren

DRINK IT DOWN: Silent Disco IPA by Funk Brewing Company

DRINK IT DOWN: Silent Disco IPA by Funk Brewing Company
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Beer: Silent Disco

Brewery: Funk Brewing Company

Style: American/New England IPA

ABV: 6.80%

Description: Silent Disco pours a hazy yellow orange hue with a frothy, slightly off-white head that leaves a thick lacing on the glass. The aroma is fruit forward, with a huge hit of oranges, lemons, peaches, and a touch of pine. The malts make an appearance in the taste and impart a subtle sweetness and perfect balance. The hops explode upon the palate, unleashing juicy tropical and citrus fruits with a hint of West Coast IPA-style dankness. The balance between the hops and malts creates a semi-sweet and juicy IPA imparted with a wonderfully semi-dry finish. The medium body and moderate carbonation give the beer a wonderfully smooth and refreshing quality that is a must for any India pale ale.

Silent Disco acts as a wonderful combination of the much-hyped New England-style hazy IPA and a hop-forward West Coast IPA. The resulting beer is infinitely drinkable and offers something for nearly all hop lovers.

Food pairing: The wonderfully bright tropical and citrus flavors mixed with pine and semi-sweet malts makes for a beer that is refreshing and invigorating. This combination also makes it perfect for a wide array of dishes. The bright citrus notes pair wonderfully with a light citrus-forward salad topped with a light vinaigrette. The beer is light enough not to overwhelm the salad, and the citrus flavor will only enhance the incredible citrus aroma and taste.

While winter is starting to loosen its grasp, it is still very present, and Silent Disco helps brighten those cold winter nights with hearty meals. This beer that goes well with many meat dishes as well as vegetables. Roasted cauliflower and black peppercorn-encrusted steak makes is a phenomenal match with this as a holiday sit-down meal. If you are looking for something on the lighter side, smoked salmon is an excellent choice.

However, the mark of a great IPA is a pairing with delicious pizza and movies with friends on Friday nights. Silent Disco is a phenomenal pizza and movie beer, imparting enough bright qualities to match even the meatiest of pizzas, and it’s light enough to not overpower any vegetable.

The final word: The New England-style IPA is currently the most sought-after of beers. Many craft lovers are willing to wait in long lines for hours to get their hands on some of the most desired brews in this category, so to find a great beer like that that is readily available and made right here in Pennsylvania is a wondrous achievement.

The Emmaus brewery has developed a great reputation for well-balanced beers, with a strong focus in the IPA category. Silent Disco is quite possibly their most popular beer that is now widely available throughout the area in 16 oz. cans. If you are a fan of the NEIPA style or looking to experience it for yourself without waiting in line for hours, grab some Silent Disco now!

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Where can I get it? Currently available in 16 oz. cans at: Beer Boys (176 N. Washington St., Wilkes-Barre), Sabatini’s Bottleshop & Bar (1925 Wyoming Ave., Exeter), The Nyx (218 Depot St., Clarks Summit), Town Tavern (815 Foote Ave., Duryea), and Weis Market (1020 Northern Blvd., South Abington Twp.).

Drink It Down is a weekly column that doesn’t just review beer – it provides the full experience of going out and enjoying a quality craft brew. Look for it on Mondays exclusively on NEPA Scene.