HenHouse pairs with local talent on Art Forward Double IPA can design

With curbside pickup giving housebound beer fans plenty of time to gaze at a 16-ounce can, HenHouse Brewing Co. jumped ahead of the can-art curve with Art Forward. Individual artists were invited to create artwork for each can in this four-pack release. Artists and brewers have been hit hard during the COVID-19 crisis, so it’s great to see HenHouse employing Bay Area artists to explore their creativity in a small, circular space.

Each can in the Art Forward series features an aluminum canvas for a different artist’s vision. “Zoom Happy Hour” highlights Oakland street artist Bud Snow’s cartoonishly bright interpretation of our newfound video conferencing lives. Artist Conor Alfaro’s retro red, cream and charcoal design is a graphic keeper to highlight the techno notes of this DIPA. HenHouse also sought out West County tattoo artist and musician Nat Glomb for a spiritually revivalist beer scene. But we are most looking forward to collecting Petaluma-based illustrator R. Huling’s black and white sketch recreation of downtown Petaluma in “1858.”

The beer itself promises to meet the high mark for double IPAs that HenHouse fans have come to enjoy. This new DIPA is brewed with jasmine rice to produce a light, effervescent and somewhat dry mouthfeel. It’s finished with Strata hops for tropical fruit, grapefruit and funky herb notes. Strata is a relatively new independent hop variety developed in an open pollination experimental field owned by Oregon State University in Corvallis. With gorgeous yellow cones, Strata makes for smooth and bright fruit flavors, and ends with a piney note that works well in a higher volume DIPA. Art Forward is also balanced with Mosaic and Chinook hops for a West Coast vibe that complements these Bay Area art themes.

Art Forward is only available from the HenHouse website and tasting rooms in Petaluma (Palace of Barrels, 1333 N McDowell Blvd.) and Santa Rosa (322 Bellevue Ave.).