Celebrate Frank Zappa’s birthday (December 21st) this year with the perfect boozy stocking stuffer: the Zappa-inspired “Why Does It Hurt When IPA?”. The new and cleverly titled beer is a collaboration between the Zappa Family Trust and San Diego’s Duckfoot Brewery Company.
The West Coast-style IPA is brewed with so-called “ZAPPA hops”, Simcoe and Cascade, said to be as “hugely eclectic” as the late rock icon himself. According to a press statement, the beverage promises “notes of passion fruit, spice and grapefruit,” a noted favorite of Zappa’s.
In addition to these bright flavors, the packaging for the new beer features never-before-published photos of Zappa himself playing guitar while sitting on the toilet. Indeed, this IPA loves to fold in all the jokes: there’s Zappa on the can and Zappa in the can.
“Why Does It Hurt When IPA?” came together when Duckfoot’s co-founder and longtime Zappa fan, Matt DelVecchio, pitched the idea to his good friend Pete Grifflin. Grifflin is a touring musician in Zappa Plays Zappa, a tribute band led by Zappa’s eldest soon Dweezil, and offered to pass along the idea to the rest of the Zappa Family Trust.
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“Our new friends (but they feel like old friends) at Duck Foot Brewing Co are making a delicious new brew using the Zappa hop,” one of Zappa’s other sons, Ahmet, remarked in a statement. “Stay home, be safe and enjoy Why Does It Hurt When IPA? responsibly. All the Zappa Trust proceeds from this batch will go to support the music community in need. Music is the Best!”
The Zappa IPA is available in six-packs in the US beginning today. Purchase yours on the official website, and scroll below to watch a video about the making of the beer.
In case you’re looking for non-alcoholic version of Zappa, just this past October a 50th anniversary edition of The Mothers of Invention was released. Last month, Alex Winter’s Zappa documentary made its debut alongside a corresponding soundtrack.
And in the event you’re craving more artist-branded gastronomical products, Deftones and Pantera each released their own speciality beers in recently months. The Killers, meanwhile, just launched a line of hot sauces.
