Every April, Great Notion Brewing launches its Get On the Bus campaign, releasing many trippy beers. What does Get on the Bus mean? It’s Great Notion’s celebration of the fun annual Bicycle Day (the first recorded LSD “trip” by Albert Hoffman on 4/19) and 4/20 cannabis celebration holidays honoring the Merry Pranksters and their Further Bus. Brewery owners Paul Reiter, James Dugan, and Andy Miller are big fans of Oregon legend Ken Kesey and his band of Merry Pranksters; thus, the brewery name and beer references stem from Sometimes a Great Notion. The brewery’s marijuana-themed beers have finally landed in Washington state, and Peaks & Pints has five available for our Wednesday beer flight, Peaks & Pints Beer Flight: Trip with Great Notion.
Peaks & Pints Beer Flight: Trip with Great Notion
Great Notion Reeferm Madness
6.3% ABV
In 1936, a church group produced a sincere “educational” film about the perils of marijuana that, in a few years, was recut and released as an exploitation film, which, in turn, became a midnight movie that’s delighted potheads since. Reefer Madness features a trio of drug dealers leading innocent teenagers to become addicted to reefer cigarettes by holding wild parties with jazz music. Righteous. Great Notion’s Reeferm Madness is a sour smoothie made with strawberry, blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, and flavored with mangosteen and marshmallow.
Great Notion Electric Headband
7.1% ABV
Headband, also known as simply “HB,” is a hybrid marijuana strain and lovechild of cannabis’ power couple, OG Kush and Sour Diesel. Flavors of lemons and diesel accent the smooth, creamy smoke while the long-lasting effects are significant for pain relief, helping you relax and combat elevated stress levels. Great Notion’s Electric Headband is a tart ale brewed with puckering lime juice and sweet blue raspberry sno-cone syrup.
Great Notion Bicycle Day
7.5% ABV
Tacomans love bicycling and the outdoors, and a growing number are growing fond of psychedelics. Yet Bicycle Day, which celebrates the discovery of LSD, is still overshadowed by the cannabis holiday 4/20 one day later. Bicycle Day always falls on April 19, when Swiss chemist Albert Hoffman experimented in 1943 with a drug he derived from the ergot fungus. He was so dizzy and restless at his lab when he went home via bike, which he had to ride because of wartime restrictions on car use. Great Notion’s version is a fruited sour that appears one way, tastes another, and smells even more different from what you might expect. The bottom line is to expect mixed berry aromas, fresh stone fruit, and citrus flavor with a colorful surprise.
Great Notion Knife Hits
6.8% ABV
Knife hits are a method of consuming cannabis concentrates, usually hash or kief, using heated knives. It’s an old-school, DIY technique still used by some people who don’t have access to more modern dabbing tools. Great Notion’s version is a West Coast IPA collaboration with Ghost Town Brewing from West Oakland, Calif. The IPA hits with bold, sweet berry, pineapple, and dank tropical fruit notes from a dry hop of Simcoe, Nelson Sauvin, Mosaic, and Krush hops.
Great Notion Munchies
9.1% ABV
After hitting a Mrs. Butterworth’s bong or Cheech & Chong joint, you can get the munchies because cannabis consumption activates specific receptors in our brains, directing hunger-fighting neurons to switch sides and stimulate our appetites. The most generic strains of weed can lube up an appetite, especially for anyone who doesn’t toke very often, but there is a rare class of cannabis out there digging endless pits of hunger in our stomachs. You could go to 7-11 and load up on Twinkies, Cheese Puffs, Doritos, and Easy Mac. Or you could sate your munchies with Great Notion’s Munchies, a mouthful of an imperial stout with a kitchen sink of flavors like cacao nibs, peanuts, marshmallows, pretzels, potato chips, caramel, peanut butter cup, and graham cracker.
LINK: Peaks & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
