DISPATCH · Nº 0215
Pairing · On Call IPA × Cold Creek Kush
El Segundo Brewing's fresh West Coast IPA meets 710 Labs' MK Ultra × Chem 91. Hops and Kush share the same plant family — this pairing was coded in.
Two releases crossed my desk this week, one on each side of Cannabaceae. Both hit hard. Both want the same thing from your palate.
## On Call West Coast IPA
*El Segundo Brewing — new* Here & Now *fresh taproom release.*
**6.2% ABV.** Hops: Simcoe, El Dorado, Riwaka.
- **Simcoe** — classic West Coast backbone. Pine, passionfruit, grapefruit. - **El Dorado** — tropical and stone fruit. Pear, watermelon, candied citrus. - **Riwaka** — rare New Zealand hop, hard to source. Intensely aromatic, lime zest and fresh grapefruit. When a brewery puts Riwaka on a can, they mean it.
## 710 Labs Cold Creek Kush
*MK Ultra × Chem 91. Indica-dominant hybrid.*
**~24% THC, 2.8% terpenes.**
- **Nose:** funky Kush, diesel, gas, subtle citrus underneath. - **Effect:** fast onset, euphoric head, relaxing body. Not a couch-lock. Some sativa sparkle through the indica frame. - 710 Labs grows in-house, organic, hand-trimmed, top colas only.
## Why they pair
Cannabis and hops are in the same plant family — *Cannabaceae*. They share aromatic terpenes: myrcene, humulene, caryophyllene. Humulene is literally *named after hops*. A myrcene-forward Kush next to a hop-forward IPA means the noses line up. Nothing fights.
The Riwaka does the reaching across the table. The Kush meets it halfway. El Segundo for both.