422: Vincent Ménard of Messorem Searches for Brash Balance in Sweet and Sour IPA

Messorem co-founder Vincent Minard details the brewery’s evolution in Montreal, focusing on their commitment to progressive, hop-saturated hazy IPAs and the technical nuances of their production. The conversation explores the brewery's transition toward higher finishing gravities to enhance hop saturation and the strategic use of flowable hop products to achieve aromatic intensity without excessive bitterness. Minard discusses the counterintuitive success of pasteurizing IPAs to maintain stability and the revival of sour IPAs as a more drinkable alternative to the smoothie sour trend. Additionally, the discussion highlights the brewery's shift toward lager production, specifically the implementation of pitch-lined foeders to create a clean, traditional profile. This approach reflects Messorem’s broader philosophy of blending industrial aesthetics with rigorous, iterative experimentation to push the boundaries of modern craft beer.