As a representative of the former colonial powers I thought I should honour Independence Day by drinking the most patriotic American beer I could find. I found the Samuel Adams Brewer Patriot Collection at Whole Foods.

The collection comprises four different bottles in the styles prevalent at the time of American Independence. I’m not usually a huge fan of Sam Adams but it seemed an interesting selection so I thought I’d give it a try.

The first bottle was Traditional Ginger Honey Ale. Sweet but not cloying with a subtle ginger flavour, the wild honey & lemon peel balanced each other nicely. It had a light natural haze that accentuated it’s old style appearance. Very refreshing.

Next up was George Washington Porter®. Brewed with licorice, smoked malt & East Kent Goldings hops. Licorice ? Nasty. I don’t like licorice but I couldn’t specifically taste the licorice. But it was still nasty. A really unpleasantly bitter flavour.

Thankfully James Madison™ Dark Wheat Ale was a much more drinkable. Slightly smoky with an agreeably smooth but effervescent tingle in your mouth. Refreshing with a enjoyable though indistinct wheat beer meets porter flavour.

Finishing up was the 1790 Root Beer Brew™. Really nasty. Even nastier than the Licorice Porter. But then I don’t like root beer either so maybe if you like root beer you might love it.

Overall thought I think the collection was greater than the sum of its parts. You might think from my distaste for two of the beers that I didn’t like the collection but that would be missing the point. It is, I think, meant as a curiosity whose value lies in how interesting it is rather than as something that you drink on a regular basis. In this it is an unqualified success and Samuel Adams should be commended for this. You wouldn’t catch me buying it again but then again if next year they try some other flavours, maybe.

I think I’ll have an IPA to take the taste of that root beer away.

Ahhh, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. The beer that allows me to live in California. As a Brit in the SF Bay Area I have come to view the ubiquitous ‘Sierra’ as a safety net. It’s not that I don’t drink it by choice when I have other options, anything but. There are always a few bottles in my beer fridge and I often ignore more esoteric beers at my regular haunts to opt for its refreshing taste. The thing with Sierra is that I can rely on it being available in almost any bar or restaurant. If it’s the type of place that has a choice of three beers, two will be mass-market blandness but the third will be Sierra Nevada. If a place doesn’t have Sierra it will instead likely have two or more quality beers to choose from.

If you don’t know Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, you really should. It is perhaps the best balanced beer in the USA, if not the world. Crisp and fruity with a wonderful Cascade hops aroma. It’s just so easy to drink. Crafted in Chico from the ‘holy quadity’; barley, hops, yeast & water it is one of the beers that kick-started the American craft beer revolution. I think I’ll have another one.