Hazy IPA Orange Granita

I used to HATE beer and considered myself a 'ride or die' wine girl instead. That is, until my partner in life decided he wanted to brew beer for a living. It took over a year of what I like to call immersion therapy- which means trying a sip of every new beer he drank- before my appreciation for the beverage fully emerged. The secret? I found a couple styles that don't have that quintessential beer taste that others enjoy and I dislike. Sour beers and hazy IPAs turned my view on beer upside down. Followed by chocolate stouts because... chocolate. Need I say more?

This recipe focuses on the New England India Pale Ale, aka the best substyle of IPA. You may have also heard the style called Hazy, Juicy or East Coast IPA.

Stop right there! I know exactly where your train of thought is going. Aren't IPA's really bitter? That's the beauty of the Hazy IPA style, it generally has a ton of aroma and flavour with minimal to no bitterness. Hops give beer the bitterness flavour, but only when boiled. This is done before fermentation when creating the pre-beer liquid called “wort”. If the hops are added during fermentation - a process called “dry-hopping”, then you pull out all of the gorgeous aromas and flavours without the bitterness; ending up with incredibly tasty, not at all bitter beer.

This recipe only uses 3-4 ingredients. No fancy equipment necessary (I'm looking at you ice cream maker); just a container to freeze the mixture in and a fork. Simplicity at it's finest.

The star ingredient for this granita is the beer. My current favourite being Northern Lights Hazy IPA by Bobcaygeon Brewing Company. The first sip I had immediately made me think of Sunny D, a sweet orange drink. I know beers are heavily dependent on where you live, so just use a local IPA beer that has relatively low IBU's (International Bittering Units) with a ton of citrus hops flavour and aroma.

Most of the time people tell you to use a lager or a light beer for recipes, and that hoppy beers are too bitter and they lose their aroma too fast. I put that to the test and the Light Beer granita was no competition for the Hazy IPA granita. Even if some of the aroma gets lost, the flavour is still there. Using light, flavourless beer in cooking is great when you just want the chemical benefits of using alcohol in food without the flavours - think of beer can chicken’s moisture. However, if you’re using a recipe that doesn’t boil off all of the beer flavours, you’re much better off finding a tasty beer that pairs with and complements the flavours in your dish.

Granitas are like a soft shaved ice; a smooth texture with small and fine ice crystals. The perfect consistency is halfway between shaved ice and a slushie. The first time I was ever introduced to a granita was in the Chef's Table episode about Corrado Assenza. You could say it was my inspiration for this recipe.

To make this granita, combine the simple syrup, fresh orange juice and beer in a container. I didn’t use a sieve to strain the juice so that I could have lots of pulp. However, if your oranges have lots of seeds I suggest straining the juice.

The size of the container used to freeze the granita will determine how long it takes to fully freeze. A larger, more shallow dish will freeze quicker due to the increased surface area between the cold freezer air and the granita liquid, meaning a quicker transfer of heat.

At the 3 hour mark, the granita should have a slushie consistency. Expect a shallow granita to freeze fully in 6 hours. I used an 8 x 8 metal square pan.

A smaller, deeper dish will take much longer to freeze; from 8-10 hours to overnight in some cases. For the finest granita texture, use a fork to scrape/disturb the granita liquid every 30 minutes. If you take longer or forget a couple times, don't panic it will still turn out great, just with a few more ice crystals.

I’ve even left it overnight without using a fork once. The texture the next day was a bit coarser, closer to the shaved ice side of things. Still good, but not quite as nice as a fine ice crystal granita. The granita should be completely frozen before the final scrape occurs, to get the right texture.

Best eaten within a day or two to maximize the fresh flavours. I plan on making this all summer long. The perfect adult snack to enjoy by the waterside. You can even up the alcohol by turning the granita into a slushie beer beverage for even more fun in the sun.

To make a slushie: fill a glass with granita and pour your favourite Hazy IPA over top, until the granita is just covered. Stir and enjoy! For a less sweet slushie, replace some of the granita with blended ice, to taste.