Welcome back to FTW’s Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey.
SweetWater is like Firestone Walker or Elysian or Three Floyd’s to me; it’s a circle of trust brewery.
It may not have the same cachet of those more notable brewers, but SweetWater has been a staple of my drinking life since graduate school in Nashville and $2.50 pints of Blue and 420 at the Flying Saucer. The brand has expanded since then, and while it’s always tough to find up here in the saturated boozing landscape of Wisconsin it’s always been a worthwhile find. As such, it’s landed inside the circle of trust; if I’m somewhere where there’s no real local beers on tap but there’s one of these nationally distributed brewers (like, say, an airport), they’re getting the call.
The question is whether the brewery still has the magic as it branches into new territory. SweetWater introduced two new beers this spring — a West Coast IPA to attract folks who like hoppy citrus and a lager to cover a more traditional light beer market. I drank them because that’s my job sometimes, and I fully appreciate how lucky that makes me.
Here’s what I thought — along with a bonus look at Hendrick’s newest gin offering.
Gone Trippin' West Coast style IPA: A-
And it delivers, in an exceptionally smooth way. There’s no denying the hops here, but the citrus and creamy carbonation make this incredibly easy to drink. There’s a lot of flavor up front. Those Simcoe hops — I’m guessing, I’m not nearly good enough at this to pick out a hop type from a few sips — come on strong and floral but don’t overpower you
(Nope. Per SweetWater this is a mix of Cascade, Centennial, Crystal, Chinook and Citra hops. Not even close. But I bet I sounded smart for a few seconds!)
Then comes the citrus and a dry finish that snaps off each gulp.
The result is a refreshing pale ale that clocks in at seven percent ABV. That potency eventually shines through, making this a sipper, but one you’ll keep coming back to. The profile doesn’t change as it warms up, making it a solid choice through the whole can. It’s not an every day beer for me — it’s a heavier IPA after all — but it’s a pretty great occasion beer.
Lager: B
The first sip is light malt and some of those breakfast grains. It goes down cleanly without much of an aftertaste. There isn’t much complex about it at first — it’s a beer that tastes like beer. A few more sips uncover a little bit of clove and maybe some banana? It’s subtle, but it’s there.
Ultimately it’s a light beer, which means it was always gonna be a little simple. But the only thing it has to be is refreshing. It hits that target pretty reasonably — I’m not a fast drinker but this one went down in about 10 minutes after a day of dealing with a five-year-old and her stomach bug. It was the right beer for the moment and will taste even better on a hot day.
It’s a competent beer — pretty much exactly what you’d expect from a SweetWater light lager.
Bonus: Hendrick's Flora Adora Gin: B+
Flora Adora was a big part of our Masters cocktail guide. While I included it in a couple springtime drinks, I didn’t give a proper review — so here we go.
I am, admittedly, a seasonal gin drinker. I typically wait until the weather warms up before turning to G&Ts or mixing with a little bit of lime and ginger beer. My go-to is The Botanist — I had it when I was over in Islay and it blew me away — but I’m open to new experiences.
Flora Adora qualifies. It takes the herbal basis of the spirit and leans in, cranking up the botanical qualities for a varietal that might only work with gin. But it’s a common sense mash-up here; a horticultural rocket booster for a drink rooted in shrubbery.
That all sounds unappealing, but it’s not. Flora Adora was never going to be my cup of tea straight-up, but add a little tonic and some fruit and you’ve got a stew going.
It worked great with muddled peaches for our Masters cocktail and would probably bring out the best in other stone fruits. It’s a bottle that’s likely to last in my liquor cabinet for a few summers, but if you’re looking for a bright, light, floral twist on your typical sipper then Hendrick’s has your huckleberry.
