brew dog blog

Brew Dog Blog officially declares this The Summer Of The Can (TSOTC).  TSOTC has begun a bit early this year, jumping summer’s official date by a full few weeks.  Partially responsible for this amazing situation is the timely introduction of the beers of the 21st Amendment Brewery from San Francisco to the New York City market.  Also not lending much credence to the whole idea of an official date for the beginning of summer is Oskar Blues’s Pilsner, Mama’s Little Yella Pils.

21st Amendment’s beers have been on my radar for a while, and I’m happy to finally get a chance to really sit down and enjoy their two current offerings available here in cans, Hell or High Watermelon, which is a Wheat Beer made with fresh pressed fruit, and Brew Free or Die, a west coast style IPA.  Hell or High Watermelon doesn’t really sound like a beer I’d be into, and at first, honestly, it wasn’t a beer I enjoyed.  That only lasted about three sips, though, and as I proceeded, I became very convinced that I could quite happily consume a large quantity of this beer, and be very proud of the fact that I was drinking a watermelon beer.  I have been drinking these more out of the can then in the glass, but when I did pour it, I was surprised at just how pale it is.  It pours a light yellow color with a quick, fizzy head, and coms out with a big kicking aroma of watermelons.  The fruit flavor isn’t up front when you sip right away, but as you drink it, it comes out more and more.  If this beer warms up a bit too much, it gets a little off and cloying tasting, but honestly, there’s no real danger of that happening.  You will chug this beer, I promise.  Brew Free or Die is a very tasty, highly drinkable IPA that finishes nice and dry like a West Coast IPA should.  A little maltier than the typical offering, and almost bordering on the Pale Ale in terms of its lack of bracing bitterness, this is a very successful, deep, golden IPA with nice aromas of Pine and Citrus.  Very well balanced, not too sweet and not too bitter, another insanely drinkable win from 21st Amendment.  What will they do next?

Oskar Blues has already been well established as an excellent purveyor of canned goods, and should be considered one of the forefathers of TSOTC.  Their latest contribution, a very delicious canned Pilsner, pours a beautifully clear golden color, with a touch of sulphur and a good amount of hops on the nose.  A bit hoppier than most Pilsners, and hence a lot tastier to this here tongue, Mama’s Little Yella Pils is a fantastic Colorado take on an all-time beer classic. Very drinkable with no hot alcohols or yeast aromas, this Pilsner is pure drinkability, in the right kind of package for almost any situation.

With all of these offerings and a lot more coming down the pipeline, the bottle may very well be on its way out — so embrace the can, my friends, The Summer is upon us!