Sweetheart: A West Coast IPA with Candied Tropical Bliss

Every once in a while, a new hop comes along that feels instantly different. Not louder, not flashier—just layered in ways that make you stop mid-sip and wonder what’s really going on in your glass. For Louisville-based Atrium Brewing, that hop was HBC 1019 c.v., recently commercialized as Dolcita™.

Atrium decided to explore it in a collaboration beer with Omega Yeast. The concept was simple: a West Coast IPA built entirely on fruity hop and fermentation character. The Atrium team knew they were fans of Omega’s British V yeast for their hazy IPAs, so they turned to a haze-reduced version of that same strain—Daybreak-V—to get the same fermentation profile with a brilliant finish. As for the hop bill, the Atrium team had recently become fans of Haas’ Next Gen hop profiles, so they turned to their sales rep Laura and the Haas Brewing Solutions team for inspiration.

“I asked Laura if Haas wanted to join this collab and she said yes,” shared Atrium Head Brewer Spencer Guy. “Then, talking with Max and Jeff from the Haas brewing team, when I shared the concept they both said instantly, ‘[HBC] 1019. If you want all fruit, go with that.’”

Knowing that HBC 1019 c.v. was about to receive a commercial name, Haas and Atrium worked together to build a hop schedule that would let the hop shine while remaining true to the roots of the style. From the start, the hop now known as Dolcita delivered complex candied pineapple and peach ring flavor. “Any fruit you get from it is like the gummy bear version,” added Spencer. The Atrium team noted some additional hints of caramelized banana and what they called a “subtle tiki-spice complexity—the kind of note you notice in a cocktail and can’t quite pin down.”

“I really think there’s a complexity to this hop that I haven’t really gotten before.” Spencer Guy, Head Brewer at Atrium Brewing

Used in multiple formats—T90 pellets, LupoMAX^®, and Incognito^®—Dolcita revealed new dimensions at every stage. “Selling beer to a consumer that’s educated and picky about what they want is really about giving them something that they can relate to,” says lead brewer Max Myers. “Dolcita is a cool hop. It’s really unique and it’s been interesting and tricky to showcase all of its capabilities as a single hop beer, and I think consumers are really going to like it.”

Atrium’s team also sees Dolcita as a hop that can thrive in a blend. “It could be a great character hop,” Spencer said, “layer it with something resinous or pineapple-y, and it changes the perception of the other hops.” That versatility is what excites Spencer and Max: a hop that can stand tall on its own or unlock new flavors when combined with familiar varieties.

For Atrium Brewing, the story of Dolcita and Sweetheart IPA is as much about connection as it is about beer. “Using a hop that isn’t fully out there yet gives us a story to tell the consumer when we’re tucked away in the brewery,” Max Myers explained. “The beer is the medium, and the hop is the vehicle for that story.”

In Louisville, that story has already taken shape. Atrium’s Sweetheart IPA is here to share Dolcita’s tropical, candied fruit bliss with everyone who tries it. Dolcita is available for spot orders and contracting in T90 pellets, LupoMAX^®, and Incognito^®, with additional formats coming soon.

Special thanks to the entire Atrium team for this collaborative project. Learn more about Atrium Brewing on their website.