An International Arms Race

“A fury of dots and dashes come through the receiver. The translator turns in amazement.

"An IPA with no hops by two breweries separated by sea?" His commanding officer lays a grizzled hand on his shoulder as his eyes narrow toward the horizon. "No bastard ever won a war by playing it safe, son."

BUT, by mutual agreement, beer’s principal weapon of mass destruction, the hop, has been withdrawn from the IAR competition. What? An India Pale Ale with no hops? That’s like an episode of TOWIE without false eyelashes; Angelina without her attention seeking right leg; or Lady Gaga without her army of Little Monsters.

“Each of us producing our own beer highlights the human element of the brewing process,” Flying Dog Brewmaster Matt Brophy said. “Even with the same ingredients, the hands that craft it are hugely influential in the end product.”

To achieve a Zero IBU IPA, the brewers agreed upon a list of ingredients – spearmint, bay leaves, rosemary, juniper berries, and elderflower – to replace the bitterness typically imparted by hops. Both beers will be 7.5% abv.

“When the hardcore team at Flying Dog challenged us to battle, there was no way we wouldn’t take them on,” BrewDog Captain James Watt said. “Now it’s time to see who’s boss.”

WHAT is more - Legendary designer, Ralph Steadman, and long time friend of BrewDog, Johanna Basford, will also go head to head and battle it out to create the best illustration for their respective beer labels.

Nigel Stevenson, speciality beer consultant for James Clay, comments: “Holy moley! This will be the battle of the year. Forget the Olympics, this should really excite. These are the wildest brewers around and known for their boundary pushing brews and quirky label designs; so who knows what liquid exocets they are cooking up. June cannot come soon enough.”

The two beers will be launched in June and will only be available for a limited time - more details to follow.