Nirvana Hoppy Pale Ale

This is London based no-alcohol-specialist craft brewery Nirvana’s bestselling beer, and it is a fully deserving holder of that title. The pour is nice and lively, bursting out of the fetching green-on-lime-labelled bottle and foaming enthusiastically, releasing puffs of floral notes and subtle hints of lime and caramel onto the nose. In the glass it quickly settles to a pils-like hazy gold, though the head dies away surprisingly quickly. Like many contemporary pale ales, this feels like it’s gone half-way towards being a lager before the heady hoppy aroma and suck of astringent citrus pulls it back – the mouthfeel soft yet intensely refreshing, the light tang of limey hop zinging the senses awake, and keeping them wide-eyed with a dry, bitter finish.

Overall: perfect for hot weather, this is the lightest and most refreshing of Nirvana’s pale ales with the floral citrus offering an extra kick of dry flavour for those who love the hop.