Confluence Brewing Company in Des Moines runs a Pilot Series system specifically for experimenting and letting the brew team's creativity loose, and Practice Session, released today, is this month's featured result. It is a session hazy built around Citra, Lemon Drop and Mosaic hops, a combination the brewery says strikes a bright chord of orange, nectarine and grapefruit.
At just 4.3% ABV, Practice Session is squarely a session beer in the truest sense, light-bodied and endlessly drinkable, the kind of can you can work through a few of on a long summer evening without it turning into a long summer evening you regret. Confluence calls it a beer you will want to put on repeat, and given the hop combination involved, that tracks. Citra and Mosaic are proven crowd favorites, and Lemon Drop adds a citrus lift that keeps the whole thing feeling bright rather than heavy.
The garage-band branding on this one is a nice touch too, framing the Pilot Series as a place where old favorites get worked out before wider release, much like a band running through material before it is ready for a real show. It is a fitting metaphor for a program built around experimentation rather than a fixed lineup.
The catch, and it is a fun one if you are nearby, is that Practice Session is only available on tap in the Confluence taproom during the month of July. No wide distribution, no cans to take home, just a limited-run pour for anyone who makes the trip. That kind of exclusivity tends to turn a beer into a reason to visit rather than just another release to note and move on from.
If you are in Des Moines this month and want a light, citrus-forward hazy that will not weigh down an afternoon, Practice Session is worth carving out taproom time for. Pilot programs do not always make it to a wider release, so catching this one while it is around seems like the smart move.