When Magic Hat’s PR agent contacted me about running a story on the brewery, I jumped at the chance. The larger craft breweries are the subjects of some controversy in the beer world. While these breweries have garnered devoted followings, especially in their home states, accusations of disingenuous marketing campaigns and mediocre beer are equally common. I thought an interview with Magic Hat’s cofounder, Alan Newman, would prove a good opportunity to set the record straight. And having only tried Magic Hat’s #9, Circus Boy, and Wacko, I decided a liberal sampling of Magic Hat’s less pedestrian products wouldn’t be amiss either. What I discovered was a reality far different from the stories of either the fanboys or the critics—and much more interesting.

I interviewed Alan at 2 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon. It felt like the first cool day in weeks, and I was thankful that I didn’t need to strain to hear him over the sound of the air conditioner. Deciding to keep it simple, I had a list of only five questions. Fundamentally, I wanted to know one thing: in a crowded marketplace that operates as much on perception as anything else, how did Magic Hat approach the business of brewing?

I started by asking Newman about the brewery’s inception in 1994. What, I wondered, was different about Magic Hat? “From day one we struck out in our own direction,” Alan said. The brewery’s approach to everything—from styles to labels to ingredients to the way Magic Hat went to market—was about doing something different and avoiding the trap of being generic, he explained. “We found our own way in doing all of those things.” When I mentioned his characterization in the media as a self-described “unemployable insubordinate” was accurate, Alan chuckled. “I’ve only repeated what I’ve been told,” he quipped.

It was an intriguing claim—that Newman and his co-founder, Bob Johnson, started Magic Hat with the intent of breaking from the established norms of the industry—but I wondered if it was simply marketing—until I tasted some of their newer beers later that day.

I had picked up one of Magic Hat’s seasonal variety 12-packs, Summer Scene. They’re available at just about any liquor store with a decent craft beer selection, and, if you haven’t already, I highly recommend you pick one up. The pack consisted of three bottles of four different beers: #9, a fan favorite “Not Quite Pale Ale”; Wacko, a ruby-colored summer vegetable beer made with beets; Blind Faith, the brewery’s current “IPA on Tour”; and this summer’s edition to the Odd Notion series, an American Blonde Ale brewed with ginger. Most of our readers have probably tried #9 and Wacko, so I won’t cover them here. The Blind Faith IPA and Odd Notion Summer ’10 were excellent.

Blind Faith is an assertive, even aggressive, IPA. While its 60 IBUs may not seem extreme in compared to some of the imperial IPAs on the market today, hops simply dominate the beer’s smell and taste. Floral and citrusy notes, with a bit of saltiness pervade the aroma. The beer is malty at the outset with hoppy bitterness and a slight dryness in the finish. In short, Blind Faith is an IPA-lover’s IPA; I couldn’t put it down.

The Odd Notion Summer ’10 was different altogether. When I saw the word ‘ginger’ on the packaging, I worried that Magic Hat had tried to create something altogether too gimmicky; I was completely wrong. The beer has a rich copper color and a robust, foamy head. The hop presence is citrusy but subtle, and the aroma is excellent. While some of my friends found the ginger a bit overpowering, I thought it was excellently balanced. The Belgian Ale yeast produced a subtle complexity to the taste that really made the beer shine.

When I asked Newman during the interview what had changed since 1994, and what he saw for Magic Hat’s future, he said simply, “my mother used to have a theory called the theory of ‘more so.’ Her belief was that everybody has quirks and oddities, and as they get older, those quirks and oddities become more so.” Fundamentally, he argued, Magic Hat—and every other business—is no different.

I can only believe Newman is right. Magic Hat is a unique brewery that produces some truly exceptional beers. When tasting the progression of Magic Hat’s products—and looking at their commercial achievement—it’s clear that time has been friendly to the brewery. Unlike most businesses, whose charming oddities fade with time, Magic Hat’s have only become more so.

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