There’s no greater joy, they say, than watching your children grow up happy and healthy. Which is sort of how I feel about Mad Bomber’s Ignition IRA. When owner Tom Applegate invited me last year to create and brew a recipe with him, I immediately thought of a hoppy India red ale, one of my favorite styles. Our initial effort on his old, makeshift one-barrel system wasn’t bad, but lacked the hop character we had hoped for. Earlier this month, I returned to Hayden to help make the beer with head brewer Alan Longacre on the Bomber’s since-installed, much more sophisticated seven-barrel setup. It went on tap Wednesday, and the results are strikingly different. For starters, the color is a clear, deep reddish-brown, compared to the muddier hue of the original/Rick Bonino, On Tap. More here.

Question: I've been to the Mad Bomber once, to share a sampler tray with my son-in-law Okie Doke. Nice place to enjoy a brew and chat with friends. Have you been to the Mad Bomber?

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