“Spring being a tough act to follow, God created June.” –Al Bernstein. And the same goes for this month’s beer list. Last month we went through a wondrous selection of sours and I can’t help but think we barely scratched the surface of how amazing this style of ale truly is. And with this month warming us up, it’s a good time for beverages like slushies, shakes, or especially smoothies. I believe smoothie-style beers have two main features: big fruit flavor and mouthfeel. Also, the fruit added will most likely have a fair amount of acidity in it to begin with. Generally speaking, the more fruit you add to a beer, the more fruit flavor potential it has. One of the issues brewers used to have was the desire to get more fruit flavor but not have a dense, super hazy finished beer. Brewers even used enzymes to break down the main culprit of this thickening, also known as pectin. But just like the haze craze for IPAs transformed what people desire to drink, the smoothie craze is expanding what a fruit beer can be. Here are some great smoothie sours we highly recommend to keep your cool this June.
Candied peach, raspberries, and honeydew. These are just some of the forces behind the first sip of Lord of the Peach Rings. 450 North Brewers has done it again! This smoothie sour is a nicely textured slushie ale that opens the nose with fruit pulp, watermelon, and sugar cane with a twisted tang. This one is rich and layered like an everlasting gobstopper. The acidity and melon-like base carry these juicy, sugary flavors to the end.
Skygazer Brewing Company has the most interesting take on our list this month. Introducing… Watercolors Go To’s Banana Pineapple Cherry. This is a brand-new influenced beer. At least that’s what Skygazer thinks when putting together a go-to ale made from banana, cherry, and milk sugars. Feel its illustrious scent fill the nose with a candied scent of citrus and creamsicles while your palate is rushed with notes of sugar cookies and condensed milk, while honey glaze sets the early tone. The true smoothie flavor comes in with tangy fruits like blueberries and cherries pulling through, while more tropical notes of melon give us a more robust sour. It closes off with an acidic bite begging for a second sip. Such a rounded taste balances the sweet and sour only comparable to the cocktail it has been inspired by.
This last one is a fascinating beer and another great release by our friends at 450 North. This drink straddles the line between beer and beer-based alcoholic beverages (such as a beer cooler). Whatever you call it, it is a standout beverage called “Slushy XL Slushy Wars.” This drink will coat your taste buds with candy, vanilla, sparkling white wine, and racy acidity, a tantalizingly tart ale that is as much sherbet as it is ale. Notice the smoothie, thick slush with no head in sight. You will recognize the pineapple, cream, and sour cherry as it reaches your senses. A mild-mannered tartness continues pulling through the density, highlighting the other berries’ more sour properties as the beer sips like a slush. Alcohol is undetectable, but that’s no real surprise, given the 5.3% ABV. The beer is heavy, rich, and fruity, with the taste of banana split and a tart balance on the late palate that pulls the whole experience together.
The smoothie sour is essentially a mashup of sorts between a sour ale and a hazy IPA. This style only arrived about two or three years ago and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. With summer finally here and smoothies being all the more appealing, watch out for more producers getting into the category. These eye-catching beers are worth the hype, and surely, with so many ingredients and permutations at hand, new gems are bound to be made. If anything on this month’s list piqued your interest, look no further, because all these brews are available this month and onward at your local Mellow Mushroom, 1035 Chestnut Street. Come check us out! Happy Sippin’ and in honor of the month, Happy Pride Everyone!
-by Maeve Black
