This weekend I was talked into trying a new beer against my better judgment. I say this because, it was described to me as the new Leinenkugel's, which for the record makes some incredible beers. There was a twist on this one, it is their Weiss beer, mixed with lemonade.
"It's very popular is Europe," I was told. So is eating your french fries with tiny wooden forks and mayonnaise, but you don't see us yanks doing that. Either way I immediately thought of that man law, "Don't fruit your beer." And I'd like to think that I don't participate in this barbaric act. But what do I do when my beer comes with the fruit already mixed in?
I tried to remember my time in jolly old Germany, next to Wisconsin, the Mecca of all that is good and right with beer. You wouldn't find Lemonade in compliance the German Beer Purity law. However, as I hope Patrick can help clear me up, I do recall stopping at a convenience store, and situated right next to the shiza porn were a whole slew of soda infused beers.
It would seem that by doing a little research, a Shandy is a term used to described any beer infused with either soda or lemonade. So, I gave it the old college try, and you know what, it wasn't that good. No sir, not in this beer snobs opinion.
The beer was definitely one of the lightest I've ever seen. One could say almost like the colour of lemonade. It tasted more like a hard lemonade that was trying to act like a beer. A hard lemonade in beer clothing if you will. The taste was ho-hum and didn't give any kind of crisp refreshing taste normally coming from a Leinenkugels. The after taste was dry and slightly bitter, my tongue was wishing for something to cling to. I immediately gave some to my lovely wife who I knew would enjoy this kind of beer, and I was right. However, in her defense she would rather drink this kind of beverage than a beer.
The head retention was weak, and there was barely a trace of it. Its smell was over powered by the lemons where it should have been a nice clean Weiss, with a hint of lemons. Over all, I couldn't see my self buying this beer for any kind of enjoyment or pleasure, but rather to say, "Hey, did you try that lemonade beer? I did...it tastes like lemonade mixed with beer."
1 comment:
To clear things up, in Germany lemon in beir is very common. In fact, at a decent bar or beirgarten the hefeweizen is almost always served with lemon - which I agree is wrong. Lemonade beir is common in Bavaria even though it is against all that is right an pure. They call it "radler" though the spelling may be wrong. Beir and cola is common throughout the country, either mixed in bars or premixed under the Karlsberg lable "miXery." Beir + Cola = Xtreme. Those crazy Germans, don't join their party and they'll come get ya!
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