Somehow, I don't have a better photo of the can, so enjoy this one from maybe six years ago in the sunroom of my bachelor pad, which occasionally doubled as a bedroom for inebriated individuals. Usually, they woke up in the morning covered in ants making their way through to better places. Moving on.
Many a watermelon beer have come and gone, usually with mixed results, at best. Seriously, in my experience, most are way too sweet--I know they're fruit beers, but when they taste like jolly-rancher juice, it's no bueno.
Enter Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Ale, by 21st Amendment Brewery, out of San Leandro, California: one of the original watermelon beers, and a-now, long time favorite of mine. Seriously, I was hooked on this beer when it first made it's way to my hometown of Buffalo, New York--just look at my Untappd:
Whoops.
And those are just the ones I remembered to check in. The appearance of Hell or High Watermelon on store shelves signals the approach of summer: it's a seasonal beer, released in the late spring, and best enjoyed in warm weather. It's a wheat ale for sure: a light, golden color, fluffy white head, with the added taste of watermelon. It's not going to sit heavy in you like a porter, and while heavier on the carbonation, still goes down relatively easy. The fruit is definitely noticeable, but still subtle enough to not be overpowering like so many other watermelon beers. It's my go-to beer for a hot, summer day.
Enjoying a pint in downtown San Francisco.
And it could be yours too, considering 21st Amendment ships it to 28 different states. Track some down using their handy beer-locater, or stop by their brew pubs in San Leandro, or downtown San Francisco if you happen to find yourself nearby. Overall, I rate it a solid 7/5 watermelons: worth your time, and effort. Cheers!
21st Amendment's San Francisco brewpub.
Comments