Very few things can get me out of bed super early on a Saturday morning: avoiding long lines at Disneyland, unexpected parades down on the street below our windows, or overly excited cats demanding food. Turns out we can add one more crucial thing to the list: Circa Brewing Co.’s Passion & Pride IPA can release.

Circa Brewing Co. released their Passion & Pride IPA last Saturday, June 22, and we got an awesome sneak peak inside the canning process. Read on to find out what the beer tastes like and why you need to pick some up ASAP!

What’s The Deal With Circa Brewing Co. Again?

Circa Brewing Co. is a large beer hall and brewery (we’re talking 6,000 square feet!) located in downtown Brooklyn. We’ve been fans of theirs since they opened in July 2017 (see our previous review here), guzzling their craft beers and gobbling up their delectable pizzas.

They’re total rock stars when it comes to service, too. I recently had the good fortune of hosting a successful 25-person event at Circa on short notice (we’re talking, like, 24 hours’ notice — big shout out to Assistant Manager Nikki!). While I don’t recommend making a habit of calling them last minute, if there ever was a patron saint of Beer Lovers Who Need Last Minute Favors, Circa Brewing Co. would be it. We’re raising a glass to you tonight, Circa!

So Why Were We at Circa Brewing Co. on June 22?

To put it simply, we were here for a sneak peak of this:

Mr. Five O’Clock and I had never seen the beer canning process up close and personal, so we couldn’t believe our luck when we were invited to see just that at Circa Brewing Co.

We arrived promptly at 9 AM on Saturday, June 22 (oh, the things we do for beer 🤣) and were greeted heartily by Gerry Rooney, Circa’s owner. Gerry offered us some French press coffee as we settled in and learned about the canning process for their Passion & Pride IPA.

An Inside Look at the Canning Process

🍻 TL;DR: Check out this fun time-lapse video we made of the entire canning process! 🍻

The canning process — which Circa did in collaboration with The Malt Man Canning Company — worked like this:

• The gorgeous, colorful design was pre-printed on the cans (so they arrived at the scene all fresh, sparkly and new).
• Cans were loaded into one end of the machine.
• The cans had been pre-sterilized, but they were flipped upside down and sterilized yet again; then they were flipped back right side up.

Next, the cans were filled with carbon dioxide that displaces the oxygen (which is, as Mr. Five O’Clock says, “the enemy of any stored product” — just like you don’t want oxygen in your wine, you don’t want it in your beer, either). From there, cans proceeded through the fillers, which fill the can from the bottom up with beer.

Finally, lids are fitted to the tops of the cans; the lid and the edge of the can are rolled over to ensure a strong, airtight seal.

Cans were sprayed down one final time after they were sealed to ensure they were pristine, and then yellow caps were snapped on to serve as 4-packs. Circa staff performed quality checks on the beer by taking a can here and there, opening it, and examining color, consistency, carbonation, and flavor.

Circa Brewing Co.’s Passion & Pride IPA

According to their recent press release, Circa’s Passion & Pride IPA is “healthily dosed with passion fruit and a hint of blueberry, giving it a rich, tropical fruit flavor that seamlessly merges with the considerable dry hop charge added from Amarillo, Azacca, and Centennial hops.” But words are one thing — what does it *really* taste like?

We were expecting to be gut-punched by a strong burst of passion fruit, but we were pleasantly surprised to find that the beer wasn’t a huge fruit bomb. In fact, the hazy New England-style IPA (7.3% ABV) was well balanced and quite refreshing. Fun fact: the fruit addition gives the beer a subtle pink tinge, a salute to the cause, the movement, and the people who inspired its creation.

We were fortunate enough to sample the beer with Drew Kostic, Circa’s head brewer. Drew is a former lawyer-turned-brewer (meaning he and Mr. Five O’Clock had a lot to chat about) who’s been shaking up the beers at Circa as head brewer since January 2019.

One of my favorite aspects of the day was all the fun angles we used to shoot photos. Gerry allowed us behind the bar, up various ladders, you name it… basically, it was a beer photographer’s dream!

…And Now, the Main Event: Circa’s Drag Brunch!

As we tasted samples of the Passion & Pride IPA, a special crew was getting ready to perform at Circa’s World Pride NYC Stonewall 50 Drag Brunch event.

Unbeknownst to us, Gerry had been in the back transforming into his own kind of alter ego. Honestly, we didn’t recognize him at first with that shock of blue hair!

Not to be outdone, Drew made his own costume change and happily modeled his beer packages for us.

As the party began, Gerry even directed traffic out on Lawrence Street and was truly hilarious to watch. (I mean, did he perform on Broadway in another life?)

Once Circa opened to the public at 11 AM, folks began pouring in and ordering pizzas and beer. Soon after, emcee Vivica Galactica got on stage and told the enthusiastic crowd that all proceeds from purchases of Passion & Pride IPA benefitted Immigration Equality (an LGBTQIA+ immigrant rights organization) and SAGE (which provides supportive services and consumer resources to LGBTQIA+ elders).

From Pink’s “Raise Your Glass” to show tunes from Dreamgirls, we were treated to some fun-filled, energetic performances. While this was Circa’s first-ever drag brunch, I think it’s safe to say it won’t be their last!

Circa Brewing Co.: Need To Know

Itching to get your hands on Circa’s Passion & Pride IPA or sample some of their other beers? Here’s how you can find them. Hurry on over — the Passion & Pride IPA is only available while supplies last!

Circa Brewing Co.
141 Lawrence St, Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: 718-858-0055
Reservations can be made on Resy; walk-ins are welcome
Connect via their website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram!

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While we received complimentary beer samples from Circa, all opinions are my own. Not even a perfect pint of beer can ever change that.