Drinking a great beer is like wearing socks and sandals, according to the Norwegian brewery Lervig. “It feels right,” they declare on the can of their new limited edition American pale ale, which has a drawing of two large feet in thick socks and comfy sandals.
But doesn’t wearing socks and sandals feel kind of wrong? Not anymore. The summer of 2017 was – in case you missed it – the summer of socks and sandals. Even though they’ve been the epitome of uncool since the beginning of time, worn only by embarrassing dads and uncles, it’s officially okay to wear them now – and here’s the beer to prove it.
Lervig’s Socks’n’Sandals, made in collaboration with Warpigs, is a suitably easy-going pale ale. You could, if you were in the mood, carry out some small DIY task while sipping on this refreshing, 4.5 per cent beer, with its light body and balanced summery tropical fruit flavour. Double dry-hopped, instructions on the can urge you to “drink it now” while it’s fresh.
You’ll get a full-on tropical fruit experience with Clwb Tropicana, a 5.5 per cent IPA made by the Welsh brewery Tiny Rebel. Described as a “grown-up fruit salad”, there’s plenty of pineapple and mango flavour, and a little bit of fruity sweetness (think Starburst sweets). It’s tasty but with all that tropical flavour I’m not sure you’d drink more than one on a night.
Sidecar is a new orange pale ale from the US brewery Sierra Nevada. It’s made with orange peel and Mandarina hops and it pours with a lovely, amber clarity. I picked up the tiniest hint of orange sweetness on the aroma, though there’s a little more bitter citrus in the flavour. I was expecting to like this one but overall it’s a little dull for a beer that promises to be a “refreshing take on the classic”.
- @ITbeerista beerista@irishtimes.com
