If you want to create a beer as bold, brash, and potently resinous as Drake’s Denogginizer Double IPA, you run the risk of losing your head. Literally.

When these hoppy godfathers of the Bay Area were brewing the first batch of this 9.75% ABV beast back in 2004, a valve on one of the fermenting tanks shot off like a rocket and almost decapitated one of the brewers. Talk about a beer with aggression issues! From that moment on they knew this beer would be crazy intense, but they still weren’t prepared for the mind-blowing dankness that erupted over their palates after tasting the first sip.

Maybe it was the ridiculous 5.5 lbs per barrel of supremely sticky West Coast hops that blew the lid off the tank. Or maybe the beer was just demonstrating its explosive power right out of the gate, proven by GABF and California State Fair medals. But I think Denogginizer was just announcing its grapefruit-pithy personality to that nearly-headless brewer: “I’m here, I’m loud, and I’m not just gonna turn heads... I’ll take yours clean off if you’re not careful, pal!”

It’s boozy, in-your-face brews like Denogginizer that helped Drake’s build their inimitable reputation since opening in 1989. From their original no-frills San Leandro spot and their ultra-hip Oakland pub, the brewery is now expanding their California empire with a third location: The Barn in West Sacramento. If you visit this two-acre venue complete with a full-service restaurant, three stages for live music, and a 400-seat beer garden, it’ll be easy to tell who’s drinking Denogginizer… they’re the ones missing their heads!

GABF Silver Medal Winner

Packaged On October 17th, 2018