A Different IPA

First brewed in 2009, Snake River Brewing’s Pako’s IPA is now a classic.

// By Samantha Simma

Snake River Brewing, Wyoming’s oldest craft brewery, brews an average of 223,200 gallons of beer each year, and, since 2010, 40 percent of that production has been dedicated to Pako’s IPA. At first sip, imbibers get a burst of citrus and pine, balanced by a subtle malt backbone. “We wanted something that was hoppy, aromatic, drinkable, and not huge on bitterness,” says head brewer Rudy Borrego, thinking back to the first batch of the beer made in 2009. “The original IPAs were big piney, hoppy, bitter beers. Ours is more toned down than that.”

Previous head brewer Cory Buenning created Pako’s at the request of brewpub regular Chad Taylor. “Chad really wanted us to make an IPA,” Borrego says. Since Taylor lived across the street and was one of the members of the brewpub’s Mug Club, which grants members exclusive discounts on beer, he had plenty of opportunities to press the idea. “On a whim, Cory came up with this recipe just to appease Chad,” Borrego says. “It was just a one-off joke because none of us were really into drinking IPAs at the time.” What the brewers didn’t anticipate was what a hit the beer would be—the limited-batch brew quickly turned into a flagship beer. “We all really enjoy it,” Taylor says, speaking on behalf of the brew pub’s regulars. “It seemed a lot stronger the first time they made it, but it was just a real hoppy, strong American IPA.”

A pungent blend of Simcoe and Mosaic hops gives the golden-hued ale an explosive hop aroma, while its ABV of 6.8 percent makes it ideal for those who crave a flavorful, robust beer without overwhelming bitterness. According to the style guidelines outlined by the Brewer’s Association, an IPA can be anywhere from 6.5 to 8.5 percent alcohol. Pako’s is purposefully on the lower side. “While everyone else was throwing as many hops and alcohol into their beers as they could, we kept ours very tame and under control,” Borrego says. 

Taylor’s persistence inspired the beer, and it’s named after his dog. Pako was a border collie-husky mix that was at the brewpub at least as often as Taylor was; he lived 13 of his nearly 16 years of life across the street from it. “Pako would come over to the pub all the time with Chad and lay by the front door or in the loading dock,” Borrego says. “We fished him out of the dumpster a couple times after he jumped off the loading dock into it.” Taylor adds, “[Pako] was super friendly and very personable with everybody. As he got older, he would meander over there looking for me sometimes and end up hanging out inside the bar.” His likeness lives on, adorning the labels on cans of Pako’s. JH