Well, well, it’s been quite the election year, hasn’t it? The first presidential election that I remember was 1976 when Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter butted heads. I was 12 at the time and was intrigued by the process and especially the guy from Plains, Georgia. Little did I dream in those days that I would one day be living in Georgia myself, but so it goes. Life is strange indeed.

Anyway, I’ll tell you that I just voted today in the strangest and most contentious election I’ve ever seen in all the years between now and then. In honor of the day, I’m here to tell you about Thirsty Dog Unconventional Ale, a beer I drank Sunday in anticipation of the election. Thirsty Dog brewed this puppy up (unintended) in honor of the Republican National Convention, which was held in Cleveland. 

From the label:

In this day of highly hopped, high alcohol and slap you in the face extremes in the craft beer market, it is refreshing to be a little unconventional and make an easy drinking, smooth, amber ale. Our Unconventional Ale is just the ticket with its conservative use of aromatic and flavorful hops. A truly sessionable beer.

Although conservatively hopped, Unconventional Ale is moderate in alcohol at 4.5% by volume. The beer has just 12.5 IBUs and Total Wine sells it in Ohio for $10.99 a six-pack. I can’t get it in Georgia, but my buddy Dave Coulter hooked me up with a bottle Thanks Dave! The label says the beer is best served in red states.

Thirsty Dog Unconventional Ale pours to more of a pale blonde than amber color with a light spritzy head and a soft maltiness in the nose. Taking a sip, the beer has a soft crisp biscuit maltiness up front, then a touch of yeasty and tropical hop fruit and a drying light grassy hop finish. A very refreshing beer indeed, even more refreshing in this year of political turmoil.

I’ll call it a blonde ale, and a nice one at that. Smooth and easy drinking, unpretentious and accurate to style, what else can I say except… Thirsty Dog Unconventional Ale surely gets my vote.

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