Teamwork made this dream work.

Employee Owned, a righteous West Coast Style Double IPA, was  brewed to celebrate our transition to an employee stock ownership program (ESOP). An assertive hop profile with balanced bitterness gives way to a well-earned crisp, dry finish. 

100% of all profits from Employee Owned will be donated to Women Helping Women , a nonprofit serving Southwestern Ohio as a unique provider of crisis intervention and support services for direct and indirect victims of gender based violence and takes a leading role in educating the community to promote awareness and help prevent these types of abuse.

Read on to learn more about this limited release, available for a short time on draft and in 4x16oz. Cans. Cheers to hop dividends!

Reviews are done by our Sensory Specialist Travis Houston, a Certified Cicerone and FoBAB judge.

Malts: Pilsner, Munich, Dextrose

Hops:  El Dorado, Mosaic, Mosaic Cryo, Chinook

Employee Owned was brewed to commemorate our transition to an ESOP. Can you give a quick rundown on what an ESOP is (try not to bore us)? 

An employee stock ownership program, or ESOP, is a method for transferring ownership of a business to employees by the issuing of company shares. Eventually, employees will own a majority of these shares, and therefore a majority of Rhinegeist. This time-delayed transition will allow the handover of leadership responsibilities to be much more natural and gradual, rather than an abrupt and disruptive change.

What are the notable characteristics of Employee Owned? Why choose this style to celebrate employee ownership? 

Employee Owned is a West Coast Double IPA that we absolutely loaded with our favorite American hops. Notes of resinous pine, zesty grapefruit, and freshly cut grass dominate the nose. Assertive bitterness and just a hint of crackery malt let all these hop derived aromas shine, making this beer dangerously drinkable. Hop-forward beer drew many of us to craft in the first place, especially the West Coast styles that were popular when we opened, making Double IPA the perfect style for us to celebrate our transition to employee ownership.

What makes you want to drink this beer? 

We used some of our favorite hops in this beer: El Dorado, Mosaic, and Chinook. Along with these beloved American varietals, we also used some Mosaic Cryo, a fairly new product that utilizes cryogenics to extract and concentrate hop oil. This allows more of the dank, fruity notes to make their way into a beer while minimizing the astringent, vegetal notes that can sometimes result from heavy hop additions. Mosaic Cryo allows Employee Owned to burst with flavor while avoiding this dreaded “hop burn.” 

Appearance: Light gold with good clarity and fluffy, white foam.

Aroma: Resinous pine, zesty grapefruit, freshly cut grass, and hints of water cracker.

Taste:  High bitterness and just a hint of malt.

Mouthfeel: Thin with high bitterness, medium carbonation, and a dry finish that allows hop derived flavors to linger.

Overall: Gold color with slight haze and white foam. Notes of resinous pine, fresh cut grass and grapefruit zest are backed by high bitterness and a thin body in this highly refreshing West Coast DIPA.

What foods would pair well with Employee Owned? Grilled chicken.

Ideal glassware for Employee Owned? A snifter.