Rye is becoming just as popular at the bar as it is in the bakery, judging from the grain's resurgent presence in whiskeys, and, increasingly, in beer.
It adds a spicy, herbal edge to the usual barley malt in some of my favorite rye brews, including the lush and hoppy Red's Rye from Founders in Michigan, and the roasty brown Rye Beer from Phoenixville's Iron Hill, which recently took a "Roggenbier" gold at the Great American Beer Festival. (It will be on tap there again this winter).
Few breweries, though, have embraced the tangy grain like Dock Street in West Philly, whose spicy take on bitter I.P.A., "RyePa," is becoming a signature for the revived brewery and a growing feature on taps around town. Unlike other rye beers, which use ample sweetness, RyePa is dry and aggressively spiced. It's an acquired taste, but distinctive in the crowded world of I.P.A.'s. The bold flavors make it an especially good match for the spicy Mexican fare at Distrito. It's also available at Jose Pistola's and Le Virtu. It doesn't get any fresher, though, than from the taps at Dock Street (701 S. 50th St., 215-726-2337) where it's pouring for $5 a pint.