Drink of the Week: Bear Republic Racer 5

In researching the cover story for the new issue of Imbibe (on newsstands now) we took up the task of tasting a serious array of beers from around the world (hey, somebody had to do it) and surveying industry pros and readers to come up with our list of 100 of the world’s best bottled beers in categories like “Beers to Drink With a Burger,” “Beers to Serve Your Friend Who Claims to Be a Beer Snob” and “Beers to Cellar.” With the start of Labor Day weekend and thoughts turning to outdoor grilling and kicking back with a cold one, we thought we’d highlight one of our favorite burger brews from our Top 100 list: Bear Republic Racer 5. This bold IPA from Northern California offers up big-time hops—from two Pacific Northwest varieties—in its citrusy aroma and palate-cleansing piney bitterness, and it has just a touch of maltiness to smooth things out. It’s perfect with juicy burgers, sausages, portobello mushrooms and just about anything else you can fit on the grill.