A Quick First Look – Radiant Beer Co.

It is usually not a surprise to hear about a new brewery opening up. However, 2020 brought us a pandemic, leaving craft own-premise establishments without a whole lot of own-premise business. Therefore, it was surprising to hear the trio of OC beer veterans, Jonas Nemura, Andrew Bell, and Cambria Griffith forge ahead with the vision of Radiant Brewing. With an announcement in late 2020, it was only a few months before the first cans came out of the brew house. I was excited to dig into this initial offering, with a sneak peek at where Radiant is beaming to next.

Blank Slate (Wit): Looks and plays the part to a T. Witbiers are always bagged on, but it takes talent to hit the mark. Some breweries pull the punch and under spice, while others go over-board and make Yankee Candle in a glass. This wit definitely… rings my bell (see what I did there Andy Bell?)

Parallel Path (IPA): Perfectly serviceable WCIPA. Very dank and appropriately bitter. The hop bill throws off a touch of the onion/garlic/diesel, but that subsides quickly. The base recipe established here will only reap rewards down the road.

Recommission (Lagerbier): Lagers are still hot right now, and its no surprise to me that Radiant’s first lager is a great one. Highly drinkable, with a bit less hop aroma and a bit more malt than I expected from their other beers. Much like the Wit, the beer quality out of the gate is absurdly high.

This Is Happening (Hazy DIPA): For me, this beer truly expresses Radiant’s roster of talent. Hazy DIPAs are popular, but finding nuance is tough. The complex marriage of pineapple, citrus, resin in this DIPA is unlike beers I have had recently.