Pulp Friction – a grapefruit IPA from Motorworks Brewing
Motorworks Brewing was started back in 2014 in Bradenton, Florida – a city of 55,000 people on the south side of Tampa Bay, about 25 miles south of St. Petersburg and 45 miles south of Tampa. And, if you’re visiting Disney, you can also stop at their second location in Orlando…if you’re looking for a good brew and want to get outside the theme parks.
Despite being open for a decade now, I have never had any of their beers…until now. A buddy of mine just sent me a lovely beer box that included one of their year-round brews – Pulp Friction.
Pulp Friction is a Grapefruit IPA brewed with four types of malt and Amarillo, Chinook, and Citra hops, with an extra dose of Citra coming after in a dry-hopping. The beer has a solid 6.8% ABV and 65 IBU along with a very nice price tag of $11 for six 12-ounce cans.
Pouring a deep golden color, Pulp Friction had a little haze to it and not much head topping it off. No more than half a finger of eggshell white foam ever appeared and, what little did show up, quickly fizzled down to a thin ring around the edge of the rim. The lacing was minimal as well, as just a few strands clung to the sides of the empty space down the glass.
The aroma was packed with grapefruit. It smelled almost like a glass of straight up grapefruit juice…a zippy tartness, some sweeter characteristics, and just a hint of pithiness. The grist added a tiny bit of cereal-like qualities to the brew, that played off the added fruit really well. It smelled light and inviting. I couldn’t wait to jump in.
My first sip started with just a faint buzz of carbonation and the beer had a mostly lighter mouthfeel early on. Shockingly, the grapefruit was actually much more subtle in the flavor than it was on the scent.
The grist leads things off with a hefty dose of biscuity and caramel flavored malt before the sticky-sweet grapefruit flavors join in. As I mentioned, the grapefruit is quite soft here. It doesn’t shock you with its tartness or bitter rind flavor. Instead, it adds a nice juicy sweetness and a bit of sappy resin.
The hops add even more fruit flavors. Some light melon and honeydew notes can be picked up behind the grapefruit and there is a touch of lemon and tangerine that slowly builds throughout the sip.
On the backend, as the flavors fade, the beer does get a little thicker as the grapefruit’s resinous feeling is amplified. However, it’s a very clean finish outside of that stickiness.
It’s super crushable and quite tasty. I used to love grapefruit IPAs when I first got into craft beer over a decade ago and, sadly, since that time they have seemed to fade out of popularity with the rise of hazies. However, Motorworks has a fantastic one here. It’s insanely easy to drink, absolutely delicious, and a very solid ABV. What a great throwback that has stood the test of time. Thankfully this is one of their staple brews because I will be going back for more.
