21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer Review

Beer in a can? Some people won't go near it. I used to be one of them, in fact, though my views have moderated of late in that regard. The folks at the 21st Amendment brewpub in San Francisco like the idea of canned beer. Here's what they say on the topic:

Craft beer in a can? Why not? Cans keep beer fresher, they're better for the environment, and they're easier to take with you.

Recently, their beers showed up in the Atlanta market, and I brought home a six-pack of their Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer. In cans, of course. I thought the beer pricey at $8.98 for a six-pack, but figured I'd give it a shot. I do love watermelon ales, after all. The beer has an alcohol content of 4.9% alcohol by volume. It's made with American Wheat and Two-Row Pale malts, Magnum hops, and watermelon concentrate and juice.

It should be noted that 21st Amendment (named for the amendment to the constitution that repealed prohibition) brews their canned beer under contract in Cold Spring, Minnesota, not San Francisco.

As a humorous aside, Hell or High Watermelon Wheat is can-conditioned, which means that it's not filtered and is packaged with yeast. This is not uncommon for a wheat beer, but what is unusual are the directions on the can: "Yeast inside, agitate before opening". I'm not so sure that's a good idea, unless you want a face full of beer. Better to pour about two-thirds of the can in a glass, and then swirl the liquid before pouring out the last. If you're drinking straight from the can, you'd do better to take a few sips then gently swirl the liquid in the can to rouse the yeast from the bottom.

21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer pours to a cloudy yellow color with a light tinge of orange and a towering, if shot-lived, head of foam. The nose is mostly tart wheat, which was rather disappointing since I was hoping to smell some watermelon here.

Taking a sip, I get a lot of the crisp wheat that the nose promised. That makes the beer refreshing and crisp. But wait a minute! Where's the watermelon? I get a subtle hint of fruit here, but it's not really watermelon-like to me. More like sour fruit, which doesn't really jive well with the astringent bitterness. A tinge of wheat tartness tries to recover in the finish, but it doesn't help at all.

My friends, this is not a good beer. Watermelon ales can be done nicely, and examples that I've tried from the Boston Beer Works and Coddington Brewpub in Rhode Island prove that. Sadly, 21st Amendment Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer is out of balance, doesn't deliver the promised main ingredient, and is overpriced.

You can have good beer in a can, but this is not good beer in a can.

Update 5/23/2019: I'm all for second chances, so when I saw 21st Amendment Hell Or High Watermelon Watermelon Wheat Beer on tap at Taco Mac, I decided to give it another try. It has been, after all, about 9 years since I last took notes on it. I'm glad I ordered it, as what I got this time left a far better impression (and I am such a fan of watermelon ales after all). This time around, I found the beer less bitter which works better with the light juicy watermelon fruit, for me anyway. Perfect in this early heat. I paid $5.72 for a 23-ounce mug at Taco Mac. I had otiginally given this beer just one star, but I have bumped it up to 3 1/2 after my latest sampling.

Like Lady Liberty, we stand for independence and perseverance. In the pursuit of innovative beer, there is no obstacle too great. No journey too long. No fruit too gigantic. This American wheat beer is brewed with real watermelon, for a flavor that’s surprisingly crisp, dry and refreshing—it’s summer in a can!

Hell or High Watermelon Wheat is our summer seasonal beer available from April through September in six pack cans and on draft. We start by brewing a classic American wheat beer, then add fresh melons for a straw-colored, delicious beer with a kiss of watermelon aroma and flavor.