Tap Handle #159: Opa-Opa - Red Rock Amber Ale

This was originally supposed to be an Opa-Opa Watermelon Ale tap - at least that's what the auction stated, and that's what the label said when I got it. The problem was it was a plain, ugly green label with a cartoon watermelon on it. I noticed another label underneath it and decided to peel off the watermelon label. This revealed a beautiful Red Rock Amber Ale below it, and I am far happier with it now. Besides the label, I love the horseshoe as well.

Opa-Opa was founded in Southampton, Massachusetts, in 2004 by Antonio and Themis Rizos and two other partners. The Rizos brothers grew up a few hours north of Athens, Greece, where they constantly absorbed American culture on TV and at the movies. When they moved to the States, they opened Red Rock Pizza, which has been a Southampton fixture for over 17 years. They felt they could add something more to the culinary landscape, but they didn’t want competition for their pizza, so they decided to make beer. The beer business was so good that Opa Opa opened a sister brewery and brewpub, the Brewmaster's Tavern, in Williamsburg. This site serves as the main plant for Opa Opa's bottled beer, as well as the source for the adjoining tavern. The name Opa-Opa is derived from the Greek expression of joy and celebration.

Red Rock Amber is named after the old Red Rock drive-in in Southampton, and won gold medals at The Great International Beer Festival in 2005 and 2007. It is a blend of German Vienna malt and English Crystal malts that give this beer its great malty and slightly sweet caramel flavor, with hints of fruitiness. Weighted average on ratebeer.com is 3.0 out of 5.

Opa-Opa Official Website