Welcome back to Sip Northwest’s Beer Hall of Fame: a twice-monthly induction into a list of essential Northwest beers that have made their mark on the field and region.
“The funny thing is when Boneyard got going, we didn’t produce an IPA for a while,” says Tony Lawrence, co-founder and brewmaster at Boneyard Beer, a Bend, Oregon, maybe best known for its hop-forward IPA. “My concept was to brew a pale ale that tasted like an IPA.”
Boneyard began in 2010, after “collecting random brewing equipment from various projects over a number of years,” Lawrence says, and for three years, the brewery focused on its Bone-A-Fide pale ale, a favorite style of the brewmaster’s. However, the team quickly realized that in this Pacific Northwest climate, the hopheads want their hops. As a response, the brewery dove headfirst into the IPA game and today, RPM IPA is one of the most widely distributed and reveled IPAs in the region.
At 6.5 percent ABV, RPM is a mild-bodied, long-lasting, palate-dancing brew that satisfies those looking for a bit of floral in their pint glass and also those who like a traditional, no nonsense glass of hop juice.
The tenured IPA recipe uses pale malts, including Munich and Vienna, along with a bevy of hops, including Cascade, Simcoe, Citra, Centennial and Bravo.
“I was influenced by many beers but Three Floyds Brewing Co. and Firestone Walker were my main inspirations,” Lawrence explains. “We focused on not-so-bitter with a huge hoppy flavor and aroma.”
And the name of the beer? It came from an appreciation of having two acronyms roll off the tongue together. “We felt RPM IPA sounded good,” he adds. “We also are all gear heads, so it was a match made in heaven.”
