IT’S safe to say that Cristiano Ronaldo not only treats his body like a temple, but that he is also its chief worshipper. The Portuguese footballing superstar got into hot water (or maybe lukewarm water with a soothing slice of lemon) last week when he shuffled a couple of strategically placed bottles of Coca-Cola out of the line of sight of the cameras in a post-match press conference at Euro 2020.
CR7 is no fan of sugary soft drinks, claiming he regularly has to chastise his first born for chugging down Coca-Cola and Fanta. Therefore, it’s safe to say that he wouldn’t entertain the notion of popping into a sweet shop and asking for a quarter of fizzy cola bottles.
Happily enough, many beer drinkers have a sweet tooth or two and for them a sweet shop-inspired sour from Beer Hut will be right up their street.
Let’s start with the name – What’s The Worst That Could Happen? Now, this is billed as a cherry cola sour, but that isn’t a million miles away from the strap line which accompanied an advert for Dr Pepper a number of years ago.
In any case, cola further sweetened by cherry is a ‘kid in a candy store’ kind of sugar rush which is off-limits in the Ronaldo household.
Thankfully, my dreams of professional football are a long way behind me and so I was keen to tuck into this offering from Beer Hut, initially drawn to the picture of a fizzy cola bottle on the front of the can.
The beer itself pours a deep, cherry red colour and whatever head there is quickly scarpers. There’s plenty of sugar, sweet aromas but that’s tempered by wafts of sourness.
The fizz doesn’t hang around for long either, and the first gulp throws a flood of sweet cherry flavours over the palate before a tangy, sour finish.
For all the inspiration this takes from the forbidden world of soft drinks, there’s a distinctly old school, Belgian feel to it. It has echoes of a kriek, the famous Belgian lambic style brewed with cherries.
Like a kriek, it’s sweet and soft taste skilfully hide the strength – this one clocks in at 7 per cent and is dangerously drinkable. Cristiano would never approve.
