Try?
The beer is extremely popular with women, and has recently been released in twelve packs in order that they might drink even more of it. I find it to be a refreshing summer brew, although it is available throughout the year. Being a fruit beer, there is a bit of aversion to the brew from some beer enthusiasts, but I hold no such prejudice.
Pete’s Wicked Strawberry Blonde pours to a light golden color with a thick creamy head formation and a very fruity strawberry nose. The palate is light and malty, crisp and cereal-like with a definite strawberry flavor that works with the maltiness but does not overpower it. The beer reminds me of Captain Crunch Crunch Berries cereal, which is not surprising since many breakfast cereals are made with malt as an ingredient for flavor and sweetness. There is a balancing hop finish provided by Clusters and Tettnangs that prevents this from being a malt cooler.
Malt coolers in various forms seem to be all the rage these days, be they fermented lemonades, colas, or orange flavored brews. Originally made with wine (remember Bartles and James?), they are still referred to by many as wine coolers even though they are really beers these days. That’s because they’re made with unhopped beer and natural and artificial fruit flavors. Fruit merely replaces hops as the seasoning in these beverages, and makes them close relatives of fruit beers like Strawberry Blonde.
This would be an excellent beer with strawberry shortcake, indeed in some ways it is reminiscent of that desert.
Update November 12, 2012: It appears that Pete's beers are no more, the line having been terminated by new owner Gambrinus in 2011. I did find this page still up with more information on this beer, however, and thought to record it for posterity:
STRAWBERRY
BLONDE
SENSORY
STYLE: GOLDEN LAGER
COLOR: LIGHT GOLDEN
AROMA: STRAWBERRY
BODY: LIGHT
TASTE: CLEAN, WELL-BALANCED BEER WITH A SLIGHT STRAWBERRY SWEETNESS
INGREDIENTS
MALTS: PALE AND WHEAT
HOPS: YAKIMA CLUSTER AND TETTNANG
OTHER: NATURAL STRAWBERRY FLAVORING
BREWING SPECIFICATIONS
ALCOHOL BY VOLUME: 5.0%
CALORIE CONTENT: 160
CARBOHYDRATES: 13.6 G
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 12.05 DEGREES PLATO
RDF: 64.2% W/W
IBU: 19
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
