Jewel Wasp

Jewel wasps are a brightly colored family (Chrysididae) of kleptoparasitic wasps most famous for their iridescent exoskeleton. These things are some of the most dramatic examples of “structural coloration,” which is the disappointingly boring term used to describe the use of biophotonic nanostructures built into an insect’s carapace that function like a diffraction grating, using refracted light to create all sorts of dramatic colors instead of pigmentation. If you didn’t click any of the links to phots above, you should. They’re a lot more fun than reading entomological jargon. I’m going to link a few more images, just because these wasps look so cool.

Jewel wasps are also called cuckoo wasps because they prefer to lay their eggs in other species’ nests (usually solitary bees). They will sneak into the nest, sting the egg laid there to kill it, then lay their own egg in its place to take advantage of the already gathered food. Some species can even produce scents to mimic the odor of their host species, helping them infiltrate the nest unmolested.

This beer is performing a similar impersonation: our Kölsch yeast has once again snuck its way into an IPA. We brewed Jewel Wasp like an IPA, loaded up with an iridescent blend of Talus, Mosaic and Nelson Sauvin hops, but then we ferment it like a Kölsch. The German yeast gives it a light brightness with just a hint of pineapple and white grape esters that complement the tropical hop aroma perfectly. Look for a radiant blend of pineapple, orange, lime and white grape on the palate.

Like its namesake, our Jewel Wasp is a vibrant little beer that is both fascinating and unexpected. You can find it on draft at the taproom on a rotating basis across the Watts distribution footprint.

But first, one more photo of a jewel wasp!