It’s one of the great marvels of beermaking that just four simple ingredients – water, hops, malt and yeast – can be used to make a wide range of different types of beer.
Of course, some add a little extra along the way to manipulate flavour, but the original four remain constants in the whole scheme of things.
The variety of methods and different varieties of hops and malts contribute to the wide-ranging flavours, so much so that there’s now real, universally accepted taste of beer.
However, there are some broad parameters which most beers fall into – they are either hop-forward or malt-forward, but contain varying degrees of each.
Then there are sours and fruited beers which go in a whole new direction and may even be classed as beers that don’t taste like beers.
Anyone whose student days were mostly in the mid-90s/early 2000s will remember the rise of the alcopop, drinks so skilled and hiding the taste of alcohol that you could sling it back as easily as you would a Club Orange or Lilt.
Of course, we have all become more discerning drinkers since then, haven’t we?
However, it was with more than a little intrigue that I picked up a can of Rock Shandy from Rascals Brewing Co.
For a start, it comes in a can which looks exactly like that which the fizzy pop comes in. The beer itself is billed as a New England-style IPA but the vibe is very much one of hazy Irish summers.
Rascals collaborated with Club to create this pale ale and while they cram it full of Mandarina Bavaria and Amarillo hops to bring out those juicy, orange and citrus flavours, they’ve helped the process on a wee bit.
Orange and lemon peel are added to the whirlpool – that’s the part the hops get chucked in – and there’s a bit of orange and lemon juice added during fermentation.
The non-alcoholic version is a sweet, refreshing drink and this beery take on it is now different.
It pours a light amber colour in the glass, with a slight white head and it’s no surprise that those citrus aromas dominate the nose.
There’s very little malt profile to this one as it goes straight into a crushable, fruit-crammed IPA. The lemon gives it a bit of sharp, lip-smacking bitterness that and the combination of Mandarina Bavaria and the fruit itself give it an intense orange flavour too.
It’s a 4.5 per cent beer that doesn’t really taste like beer, but is highly drinkable and refreshing. One for the guaranteed six hours of Irish summer.