Glassware: As with all IPAs, experiencing the aroma is a must to truly appreciate the beer. The Spiegelau IPA glass is always a personal favorite for IPAs as it perfectly traps the aroma and allows the beer to warm slowly. It is not widely available, but picking one up is highly recommended. A snifter glass will also work as a will a becher pub glass, which are both widely available. The key with glassware for IPAs is in the taper at the top of the glass, which helps trap the aroma.

Description: Divided By Zero — Southern Hemisphere pours a hazy light orange hue with a light, wispy, white head that leaves a thick webbing of lace on the glass. The aroma is very fruit forward with a strong punch of passion fruit; notes of citrus, pine, stone fruit and apricot; and hints of semi-sweet malts. The taste follows the nose with a strong hit of fruit flavors up front. Passion fruit leads the way followed by hints of hop bitterness, which are perfectly balanced against the malts leaving a semi-dry finish on the palate. While it is certainly fruit forward, it is not fruity or sweet keeping this beer firmly planted in the IPA category. The medium body and moderate carbonation are textbook for the style. There have been an assortment of iterations of DBZ beers over time, but this is one of the best with a masterful hop selection making for a beer that is refreshing and highly drinkable. This is yet another must try beer from Rushing Duck!

Food Pairing: The warmer weather is approaching and DBZ — Southern Hemisphere is a perfect IPA for any upcoming cookouts and goes perfectly with a lot of American fare. Grab some cans now and have them ready for the first barbecue cookouts of the season as it is the perfect beer to pair with hamburgers, hot dogs, barbecue chicken, spare ribs, and even goes well with fish. The tropical and citrus notes are also the perfect counterpoint for any spicy barbecue sauce. DBZ is also the perfect beer for a Friday night at home with friends, enjoying pizza and movies. The semi sweet malts will absolutely melt into the crust, and feel free to pile the toppings high, because this beer can handle them all. While fried foods aren’t necessarily the healthiest to consume, we all do what we know is bad for us from time to time, and when you decide to go over that line be sure to have DBZ on hand. It is the perfect with poutine piled high with cheese and gravy, fried chicken, fried veggies with ranch dipping sauce, and a litany of other good yet bad food choices. DBZ is a beer that should be in any well stocked fridge as it is the perfect beer for a huge variety of foods all year round.

The Final Word: Rushing Duck is a sincerely world-class brewery with a wide array of great beers available. Their Divided By Zero series features a similar malt bill in every batch but rotates through a mixture of hops. This allows for great sampling of hops and its influence on the beer. This batch features hops from the Southern hemisphere, specifically galaxy, vic secret, rakau and motueka, which make for a juicy, yet dry, IPA that is fantastic. The brewery has steadily gained a loyal following over the years and this trend will certainly continue. Do yourself a favor and go get some right now!

Southern Hemisphere is one IPA in the Divided By Zero series that maintains a similar malt bill but rotates hop varieties.
https://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web1_Rushing-Duck-DBZ.jpgSouthern Hemisphere is one IPA in the Divided By Zero series that maintains a similar malt bill but rotates hop varieties. Submitted photo

By Derek Warren

For Weekender

Brewer: Rushing Duck Brewing Company

Beer: Divided By Zero — Southern Hemisphere

Style: American DIPA

ABV: 6.80%

Rating: WWWWV

Derek Warren is a beer fanatic, avid homebrewer and beer historian. Derek can be heard weekly on the Beer Geeks Radio Hour at noon on Sundays on WILK 103.1 FM with past episodes available on iTunes.