Knit Knots IPA

My kids watch this show called "Imagination Movers" on the Disney Channel. I don't think the Imagination Movers have reached quite the celebrity of Dora or Handy Manny or Diego, but they're on every day and my kids sit and watch them. So, I guess the Movers are famous to my kids. It's a kids show that has very little value to adults but it's not completely annoying, plus it has a little slapstick humor and decent music (for a kids show) in it so I find myself watching it occasionally.

On the show is a character named Knit Knots and he's an accountant or something. The Imagination Movers are creative types and Knit Knots is not so Knit Knots creates a dynamic of conflict for the Movers. Knit Knots strives for the ordinary and constantly describes himself as ordinary. But, for some reason Knit Knots always needs help from the Movers because he's so ordinary he can't figure out how to solve an everyday problem (today he couldn't find his keys and the Movers helped him find them).

As I was watching "Imagination Movers" this morning I was thinking of what to write about New Belgium's newest year round beer, Ranger IPA. I drank a couple last night and aside from getting a Taco Bell craving after drinking them, nothing was interesting about Ranger IPA. This post was very close to being 3 words "Ranger IPA, Meh". It's not that it's a bad beer, it is very drinkable and accessible for an IPA. But, I think it is what it is, New Belgium's salesmen, which they call Beer Rangers, wanted an IPA because people were clamoring for an IPA from New Belgium. So, the brewers gave them an IPA, a perfectly standard, ordinary IPA, with no imagination. Ranger IPA is the Knit Knots of IPA's; ordinary.

Ordinary certainly does not mean bad, Ranger IPA is not bad. But, it's not going to be any beer geek's favorite IPA. I think it could very easily become a nice introduction to the IPA style for fans of Fat Tire or Sunshine Wheat. Maybe then that person will move on to Great Divide's Titan IPA, Bell's Two Hearted, Odell IPA or some other better example of an IPA.

Ranger IPA should be available in all KC liquor stores that carry a wide variety of New Belgium beers. New Belgium has earned the trust to get you to buy at least a sixer of a new beer from them. You won't be blown away, but you won't feel cheated either. It's also on tap at the Flying Saucer if you don't want to commit $7.49/sixer.

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