Brooklyn Special Effects Hoppy Lager

Brewed under licence in the EU (by Carlsberg) for the ultra-trendy New York craft brewers Brooklyn Brewery, this is a spectacularly tasty beer whose only imperfection, some might say, lies in surprising buyers by being labelled a “hoppy lager” when to all intents and purposes it is – from colour to mouthfeel and taste – what most people would regard as a delicious light ale. The swirling blue and yellow labelling betokens a mind-bending experience, and it doesn’t disappoint. Beery to the tips of its (and our) tonsils, uncapping gives a pop of bitter citrus, while the pour reveals a distinctly ale-like amber instead of the expected lager gold. The head folds outs creamily and stays impressively intact, clinging to the sides of the glass as all the promise of that amber hue flood the mouth, with a dark silky roundness that brilliantly balances hoppy citrus bitterness and malty undertones, pinging molecules of delight around the cheeks and palate before washing down with a long, satisfyingly crisp finish. Overall, then, this is a superb beer even if it isn’t much like what we would normally expect of a lager this side of the Atlantic. In style it’s not dissimilar to Adnams’ Ghost Ship IPA 0.5%, although its flavour range is even deeper and more complex, with a crisper finish. How it achieves all this without alcohol is anybody’s guess. All we know is, it’s an absolute corker.