BY MATT STEVENS for WEEKLY VOLCANO | 8/21/2026
Haze Me Bro – Hazy New England IPA
This week we made a trek to my old stomping grounds of … Edgewood, WA. I used to work just down the hill and had wanted to get back out to Acorn Brewing. Acorn is a lovely brewery in a strip mall on Meridian. Not the best place to ride a bike to, but a comfortable atmosphere with a small patio space in the back parking lot. The smoke had settled into the South Sound the day I made the expedition to our eastern Pierce County neighbor.
I had a couple of samplers first, but neither jumped out at me, and I seemed to remember that the last time I had an IPA on this strip, it was great.
The Haze Me Bro, honestly, it’s a decent pun name, a Hazy New England IPA (that’s their style identification, which is a bit redundant, but OK) pours a golden, cloudy yellow with a white head. The head pour is a bit small, and it’s in a shaker-style glass.
I’ve said it before, but shaker glassware sucks. I understand why pubs and breweries use it. It’s cheap, it rarely breaks, and it basically never gets stolen. But it’s a terrible way to show off your beer.
Acorn Brewing has different-style glassware for its mug club, but for your new customers, this seems like a really easy fix.
The beer has a solid citrus nose but is a little weak on the hop bitterness in the nose.
Flavor-wise, I enjoy the citrus flavors coming through from the hops. The fruity flavors of a New England IPA come from the different hops used and late hopping, or adding the hops very late in the boil or dry hopping, which means adding the hops while the beer is fermenting. This beer has some hints of pineapple and mango. Maybe some grapefruit if I go digging for it.
Mouthfeel-wise, there is some residual sweetness that might be better balanced with some more bittering hops. But other than that, it’s a solid beer. I’m plowing through it, even if I have some critiques.
Overall, this is an enjoyable beer. I’m going to get another and enjoy my corner of the taproom while the longtime regulars yell and giggle at each other and their card game. An excellent space the next time you end up east of lovely Tacoma.
Acorn Brewing is at 2105 Meridian Ave. E., Suite B, Edgewood, WA 98371.
