"It's mostly for the ladies" said Geoff the bar manager as he poured a sample of the electric pink Gulpener Rosé. He's convinced there's a definite market for girly beers in the Bull & Castle Beerhall and is hoping to redirect some of his wine-drinkers towards this red fruit wheat beer.
It's actually not a bad little drink. I couldn't really distinguish the assorted berries and cherries which are allegedly in there, but I was very pleased that there's none of the syrupy sweetness you often find with cheaply-made fruit brews. The wheat beer base asserts itself and there's no way it could be mistaken for an alcopop posing as a proper drink. Even the tiny 3.5% ABV doesn't detract from its beeriness.A solid performance and, despite appearances, a beer that's actually worth drinking.
No, I won't be having another, thanks. (Nor will this guy.)
"It's mostly for the ladies" - don't you just hate comments like that?
ReplyDeleteThere's a bar/pub in Norwich called the Belgium Monk that serves a Ter Doolen kriek which is something ridiculous like 2.8% but a very pleasant drink. I like it even though you wouldn't necessarily know that it was beer. It's a great aperitif.
I grabbed a bottle of this on the way home today. The ingredients list artificial sweetners. I can't stand artificial sweetners. Is going to be vile, isn't it.
ReplyDeleteAh yes because ladies like pink frothy drinks...
ReplyDeleteI really don't know why more women don't drink beer.
I think it's the same reason more people don't drink good beer: the way it's marketed.
ReplyDeleteI wondered how someone turned up straight on my Pink review from your blog. I see the added link now.
ReplyDeleteThere appears to be a wee tad of disagreement in our assessments. Mine's harsh, I know, but I can't think of anything I would change. It didn't taste like beer. It brought me back to my childhood and Happy Shopper cherry or raspberry-ade. It was all very Proustian really. A serious dose of involuntary memory.
Could be the difference is that you paid for yours and I didn't.
ReplyDeleteFree beer always tastes better (just in case any industry bods are reading).
I would totally try this. Maybe that makes me predictable. Though, of course, If I heard the barman say that about being for "ladies" it would put me off.
ReplyDeleteI'm with Bionic Laura-- why, when I got to a pub with great beer, are most women drinking white wine or diet soda with spirits in it?