This week, Anheuser-Busch hosted its 5th annual Brew Across America Congressional Brewing Competition. This is a competition that not only strengthens our working relationships in Congress, but also brings good people together. I was proud to join with my bipartisan buddy Congresswoman Norma Torres (D-CA) to create Paw-Paw Bear, our session IPA, whose citrusy and slightly sweet finish comes from the eastern U.S. pawpaw fruit. You can find them growing wild on trees throughout West Virginia. I am honored to represent the Town of Paw Paw that is named after the fruit!
Nicknamed the West Virginia banana, the pawpaw is deeply ingrained in the state’s history — from its darker periods when a stand of pawpaw trees just across the river in Kentucky became the site of one of the bloodiest incidents in the Hatfield and McCoy feud, to happier occasions when the town of Paw Paw was incorporated and named for the trees that grow in abundance throughout the region.
This oblong, greenish brown or yellow fruit that has a sweet, custard-like flavor similar to that of a banana mixed with mango. You can find them growing wild on trees throughout West Virginia. You can eat them raw, but they’re more commonly used in all kinds of culinary creations like pie, bread, jelly, ice cream and even beer.