Beer of the Week: Manzanita Danger Ranger

There’s more for small brewing companies to focus on than simply brewing beer. Once fully fermented and kegged, that beer has to somehow be transported to market. With the exception of a few new brewing companies that have recently been snatched up by hungry distribution companies hoping to sign the next big thing (sometimes even before those companies even have any beer to offer), that typically means putting lots of mileage on a brewery-owned vehicle.

Many a small brewery owner share amusing stories of when their staff personally delivered every keg, cask, bottle or can of their wares to each and every account, but Santee’s Manzanita Brewing Company has gone so far as to fashion a beer to tell the tale of self-distribution. That brew is Manzanita Danger Ranger.

An imperial red ale that's almost chewy, Danger Ranger is named after the company’s original delivery truck. It’s big in alcohol (8.5% ABV) and citrus fruit flavors brought on by Chinook, Centennial, and Citra hops. A peppery pinch comes on in the finish thanks to the untraditional addition of chicory root, an ingredient sometimes used in Cajun country to impart spice and help stretch ground coffee blends. The ol’ Danger Ranger may be retired, but its spirit motors on in this interesting beer.