Here's How to Win the Beer Lottery

Each year Kern River Brewing Company, out of Kernville, releases an extremely limited supply of their coveted Citra Double IPA. Consistently ranked as one of the premiere hop-heavy ales on the planet, the beer rarely makes it down to Los Angeles, and barely lasts longer than a few scant hours when it does. But this week, KRBC is offering a special lottery between now and Monday, Oct. 20. 

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KRBC Brewpub in Kernville, CA; Credit: Kern River Brewing Company

Entry is free thru this site, which includes all the details. Basically, you're vying for the chance to buy 6 22-oz. bottles of the golden libation. Valued at $8 per bomber, plus tax and ticket fees, winners will be set back roughly $54 a head — a small price to pay for a beer that folks regularly line up for several hours to sample.

The lottery is free, so you literally have nothing to lose, but remember that you can only enter once. Trying to game the system is a surefire way to get shut out of the Citra sweepstakes.

Another important note: Winners will have to make their way up to the Kernville brewpub between Nov. 7 and 16 to pick up the bottles themselves. No exceptions, and they even advise you to stay out of the lottery if you're not willing to make the roughly 2.5 hour trek from the heart of LA. Even worse, if you don't make it up there, your bottles will be forfeited and that $54 is theirs to keep.

Seems like an audacious laundry list of stipulations, but not when you consider the object of all this affection. Citra, named for the hop varietal it's built around, is a balanced gem. 8% in ABV, it goes down with merciless smoothness — with luscious mouthfeel and tropical aromatics dominating its alluring bouquet. And the finish, oh that finish. It's a surreal blend of crisp dryness and resiny bitterness that will hypnotize your palate long after it vanishes from the bottle. 

The clock is ticking on this rare opportunity. Hop to it. 

Credit: Tysun McMullan

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