Swedish Fish? Get out of here! Who didn't love Swedish Fish as a kid? Come to think of it, who doesn't love Swedish Fish as an adult? I know I do love them so. When I was young, they were penny candy; now with inflation they're nickel or dime candy. Still, they're tasty little critters and I wonder why someone hasn't made a beer out of them...
What's that? Someone did? They did indeed, and having obtained a can I am here to tell you all about Out of Order Fish From Sweden from Maryland's Rar Brewery. Rar has a whole line of Out of Order sours, and though this is the first of them I have tried, it certainly will not be the last.
The lingonberries are key here, and they are what puts the Swedish in Swedish Fish. If you've been to Ikea and ordered up a plate of Swedish meatballs, well, they are served with a dollop of lingonberry jam on the side. Here, we get a double dose of them, both in the candy and straight up in the brew.
Out of Order Fish From Sweden has an alcohol content of 5% by volume. rar does ship to a number of states, though Georgia is not one of them. My can had no freshness dating.
About rar Brewery
Based in Cambridge, MD on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, local boys brewing local beers.
We built our brewery in an 80-year-old former pool hall and bowling alley with the goal of maintaining the building's history while producing well-balanced American brews 10 barrels at a time. Proudly brewing since the summer of 2013 with no intentions of slowing down, striving to continuously produce products that our community can take pride in.
rar Brewing Out of Order Fish From Sweden in a Degroens Brewing Glass
Tasting Notes
Out of Order Fish From Sweden pours to a murky, pinkish red color with a medium fluffy head and a nose of tart sour berry fruit. The beer has a slushy, Slurpee-like chunky appearance. Taking a sip, it's thick in mouthfeel sliding luxuriantly over the tongue. There's red berry lingonberry and strawberry and citrus fruit, and Swedish fish gummy candy notes, too. The beer finishes very tart and sour and very refreshing. It's a tad Sweet but the sour balances that at the last.
Value & Verdict
I paid $5.99 for a can from Half Time. That's only 50 cents more a can than the $22 a 4-pack the brewery sells it for on their website.
Smooth and drinkable, I very much enjoyed this beer and can imagine enjoying a glass with a plate piled high with Swedish meatballs. I'll be looking for more of it, as well as other entries in the series.
