The Devil Makes Work for Idle Hands
Idle Hands was born in 2022, just as Italy was getting into the craft beer scene. They were making a style of beer that was adapted from an unfiltered Pilsner, similar to a Bohemian Pilsner, and adding just a little bit of a light dry hop to it. This process creates deliciously crispy beers that work well in warm weather, but have just a little more nuance to them.
Rather than a Pilsner that’s one note, we wanted to create something layered and complex. An easy-to-drink beer with a light hop aroma and a clean, crisp finish. It just made sense to us—this is a cool thing that’s happening on the other side of the world and we wanted to try our hand at it. Not overly hopped or overly assertive, Idle Hands is balanced. A little bit fruity, a little bit spicy, and the perfect beer to pair pasta, a caesar salad, and (if you’re looking to indulge), a cigarette.
Pilsners. You know 'em, you love 'em. You might be most familiar with a Czech, or Bohemian-style Pilsner. Those are the ones that are clear and golden in colour, slightly sweet, with an evident malt character and bready finish. Italian Pilsners on the other hand are more hop-forward, this harmonizes with the malt and results in a fuller body and smoother finish. There are two big things that distinguish Idle Hands from the rest.
It’s unfiltered, there’s still a bit of yeast left in it. This leaves a lot of that hop bitterness and that malt character is also getting left in the beer. So there’s a little bit more flavour and a little bit more body.
It’s dry hopped. We chose German and North American hops so you get both some spiciness and a little bit of fruitiness too. It just adds a little bit more intricacy to the beer.
A New Take on Pilsners
If You Care About the Hops
We used a blend of German and North American hops to create Idle Hands. First, a new world German hop called Hallertau Blanc, that features a bouquet of citrus and sweet fruits but is largely known for its distinctive white wine characteristic, think Sauvignon Blanc. These flavours really differentiate it from its predecessors, delivering layers of flavour that complement both new world and old world styles.
We paired Hallertau with Mosaic hops, which add those notes of papaya, pineapple, and a definite fruitiness. Mosaic is an interesting hop because it also helps with clarification of the beer. Even though it's unfiltered, Mosaic hops ensure we get that crispy looking Pils.
How do we recommend you drink idle hands?
Quickly, and followed promptly by another. It’s effervescent, simple but with a complexity you won’t get with plain old lagers. Idle Hands goes well with most foods, but if you’re at the taproom, try it with the chilli cheese fries from Lil’ Empire. It’s a great beer for palette cleansing with just a little bit of contrast.
How does It Fit into Annex’s Core Lineup?
Well, our co-founder Andrew says: “It’s one of the beers that keeps the lights on.”
Idle Hands is one of our two big winners, next to Forward Progress, netting us the Judges Selection from the Alberta Beverage Awards in the Pilsner category three years in a row. While you’ve got your IPA drinkers and those that appreciate hop forward beers, those that have been with Annex through its journey know that Idle Hands is a little more delicate. When we first started we said we were never going to make something yellow and bubbly and now they’ve become some of our mainstays. It's a testament to how the market’s changed, and a testament to how we’ve changed as beer drinkers as well. We’re leaning into nuance in beer, rather than something that’s in your face.
Our favourite thing about Idle Hands is that it’s completely unique in the Alberta marketplace. There aren’t very many people that are making this exact style of Pilsner. These are huge markets, and we’ve found a lovely little niche to settle into. We can see this continuing to expand as people find out there’s more that lager can offer.
What’s Next?
We just hope we’ve paved a little bit of the way.
