Dave post 1 - Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer

Today's update is coming from my good friend Dave Levine...many of my adventures with beer have involved him, and I consider his opinion highly prized. Enjoy!


For my inaugural submission to the Beeritarian, I have decided to review a fruit-flavored beer, something I admittedly am not a big fan of. The beer is called “Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer,” comes only in a 12 ounce can, and is brewed by the 21st Amendment Brewery (“21st”) in Cold Spring, Minnesota.



I would like to begin by praising 21st for trying something new-watermelon beer. I have never tried or heard of a watermelon flavored-beer before. Read on to find out more:

After pouring, a weak head is immediately noticed. Not too foamy, and in fact, even after agitation, few bubbles materialized. The smell is sharp, and far from a typical beer scent-it is much closer to apple juice or champagne, with slight hints of watermelon at the periphery. The color is (again) quite close to apple juice, and you will notice by the picture, it is exceptionally clear, and must be a filtered wheat beer (you can see my crappy furniture through the beer-something I was hoping to avoid).

At first taste, it tastes like a low-quality American lager (say, Natural Light) mixed with about 1/3 parts of apple juice. A longer swig reveals the flavor to be not that of apple, but actual watermelon, which, when mixed with the beer, leaves behind an acidity that is what must cause the apple notes. Here is where 21st must again be lauded-it uses actual watermelon flavor-from actual rind and juice. Consequently, the watermelon flavor is somewhat dull, as an artificial flavoring was avoided. The taste (when you can find the notes) is of actual watermelon, not watermelon flavor. This is a good point, but inevitably causes the beer to have a weaker flavor, generally.

Further sips show more complexity, but I am unsure that I can ever resolve this beer to be one that actually tastes good. Perhaps this is a result of novelty, use of actual ingredients, or just a poor mixture of flavors. It does not have the characteristic savory body of a good porter or hefe, and it does not have the easy-drinking quality of a lager or traditional fruit-infused beer. It represents a contradiction in that it tries too hard to be simple, and as a result, simply fails...

That being said, it would go nice with a fruit dish, or perhaps cheese and crackers (think light, sweet hors d’oeuvres), but that is about it. Not a favorite, not really enjoyable, but certainly an interesting attempt.


Flavor: Apple juice and beer
Color: Looks just like an American yellow lager
Alcohol Content: 4.9%
Average Price: $10-$11 per 6 pack.