Sierra Nevada is taking bold steps.

This spring marks the first use by an American brewing company of fresh hops from the Southern Hemisphere.  Southern Hemisphere Harvest from Sierra Nevada "will debut in late April and will feature fresh Pacific Hallertau, New Zealand Motueka and New Zealand Southern Cross hops, all from New Zealand." The hops are the freshest possible, flown to California within a week of picking.

The result is a beer with pale and caramel malts and an alcohol content of 6.7%.