MKE Brewing Hop Freak vs. Lift Bridge Brewing Juice-Z

We don’t see a ton of Lift Bridge Brewing options floating around the Milwaukee area. So when I caught Juice-Z sitting on the shelf the other day, I jumped at the chance to try it. As it’s opponent, I settled on MKE Brewing’s Hop Freak. On the surface, combining a double IPA with Rishi tea might seem like a bad idea, but I’m intrigued to see how it plays out. These cans were made for each other, I feel like a battle between Godzilla and Destoroyah is about to break out just by looking at them. Let’s see how this gigantus monster battle unfolds.

HopDuel Survey

Tell us about it

This was a great duel, I really liked both beers. The Rishi tea infusion in the MKE Brewing Hop Freak lead to a smooth flavor and a finish that completely cuts out the bitterness of the IPA. The Juice-Z does the same but with and orange and grapefruit juice blend. A bright citrus flavor is what took the Juice-Z over the top for me. The color doesn’t normally factor into a duel, but the hazy orange of the Juice-Z really works for me. Each of these were awesome, let me know what your thoughts on the pairing.