Wormtown's second flagship IPA Don't Worry taps into hazy beer trend
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Don't Worry is now available in Wormtown Brewer's taproom and stores.
Worcester brewery Wormtown Brewery has released just its second year-round IPA, Don’t Worry, to compliment its flagship brand Be Hoppy. The beer is available in the taproom and through the brewery’s distribution network. Managing Partner David Fields and Co-founder and Brewmaster Ben Roesch told WBJ about the process behind the brewery’s newest flagship beverage.
How long was Don’t Worry in the works?
Fields: Really since August. We greenlighted the idea of a second year-round IPA in August. Ben and his team came up with a flavor profile and aroma profile they wanted by early September, but we didn’t have a name yet.
How did the name come about?
Fields: We had an employee event at Webster Lake and I was talking to one of our taproom employees about the idea of another IPA. He said, “I just don’t get why you don’t call it Don’t Worry."
How is it different than Be Hoppy?
Roesch: It’s hazy and the hop accents are on flavor and aroma. It’s driven by newer varieties of American hopes that bring tropical dank pineapple forward. We call it an East Coast IPA which is a counterpoint to Be Hoppy being a West Coast IPA.
Fields: It’s a completely different beer. It’s 5.6% alcohol while Be Hoppy is 6.5%. The hops are totally different and we’ve never used them before.
Why did you feel the need to bring on another flagship IPA?
Fields: We recognize that consumers love New England IPAs and we just wanted to make a beer that was very different than Be Hoppy. It smells, tastes and looks very different than Be Hoppy. It was really more about that than chasing any trends.
Roesch: We wanted to give consumers variety. Most craft beer drinkers rotate between many brands and we only had Be Hoppy as an IPA choice.
How are sales of Be Hoppy?
Roesch: Great. Our flagship has propelled us to where we are today. Both last year and this year, Be Hoppy is up double digits.
Fields: Last year, we were up 24%. So far this year, we’re up 34%. If the brewery is trending up 30%, then Be Hoppy is trending up 30%.
Why didn’t the brewery trapped into the trend of hazy IPAs sooner?
Fields: Be Hoppy’s trends are so strong that you’d never feel like you needed another IPA. We’re having another great year, but when we started digging it and looking at the data, we felt like we might be missing another opportunity here.
How has the beer performed so far?
Fields: It’s been the no. 1 seller in the taproom for three weeks straight.
This interview was conducted and edited for clarity and length by WBJ Staff Writer Zachary Comeau.
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