What I’m drinking this week: Gone Viral from Attitude Brewing

Name: Gone Viral

Brewery: Attitude Brewing Company

Style: Passion Fruit IPA

ABV: 7.5%

IBU: 47

A COVID-19 themed beer might not sound that appetizing — but I can assure you, Gone Viral is the exception.

This week we’re returning to our IPA challenge with an odd brew from Attitude Brewing Company, which caught my eye with its stark white label. That label is plastered in iconography and speech bubbles spewing phrases we know all too well: six feet, social distancing, wash your hands, wear a mask.

On the can, Attitude dedicates Gone Viral to frontline healthcare and hospitality workers, as well as those who suffered personal loss due to COVID-19. The beer is also the brewery’s second anniversary beer.

Enough of the backstory: let’s get to the what’s inside the can. The single-hopped, 7.5% ABV brew is made with Mosaic, Citra and Amarillo hops. With its cloudy appearance, one might mistake this for a Hazy. (One, meaning me.)

But it’s a tried-and-true West Coast IPA with the style’s signature dryness, complimented by a bittersweet finish. Sometimes I have a hard time identifying specific fruit notes in IPAs, but Gone Viral makes it easy — it’s a passionfruit brew, through and through.

While the name might be a bit off-putting, this beer is the opposite. Gone Viral is surprisingly refreshing and light, with a drinkability that lasts the entirety of the glass — and that’s coming from an IPA skeptic. In fact, if I was trying to convert someone to an IPA, this might be the beer I start them out with. (Well, I guess I’m the one I’m trying to convert, huh?)

Aside from its branding, I wouldn’t change anything about the beer. 11/10. Keep the IPAs coming.