Prairie Artisan Ales Moscow Mule Double Hard Seltzer - Review by @Robyn_Seto

Sep 9

Sep 9 Prairie Artisan Ales Moscow Mule Double Hard Seltzer - Review by @Robyn_Seto

I try not to come off as a snob when it comes to beer. I suppose that notion is a bit ludicrous, considering my affinity for craft brews, but it’s true. I want to make craft beer approachable because it’s something I enjoy. On the other end of the spectrum of snobbery is the hard seltzer, which is perhaps as basic as you can get yet it has exploded in popularity in the last couple years. I can’t hide my snobbery when it comes to hard seltzers, but I understand the appeal. They’re not offensive to the palette, but I would describe the average hard seltzer as a watered-down wine cooler. They aren’t as syrupy sweet as wine coolers tend to be but don’t have any funky flavors that can be found in the average beer. That makes them particularly attractive for group occasions, since they seem to be a good middle ground.

Why am I going on and on about hard seltzers? Due to their popularity, beer breweries have started to release their own takes on the hard seltzer. So if any brewery could persuade me to try out a hard seltzer, it would be Prairie Artisan Ales. They deliver a very interesting interpretation with their Moscow Mule Double Hard Seltzer. It’s made with ginger syrup and lime juice, and it’s meant to mimic the cocktail from which it takes its name.

This is a pretty clever iteration of a hard seltzer. The ginger and lime flavors are prominent, but not overwhelming. It tastes very much like a Moscow Mule cocktail, even including the alcoholic aftertaste you would get from sipping a drink mixed with hard liquor. In a strange way, even the metallic taste of the copper cup that’s used to serve the cocktail is mimicked as well. It’s much more of a cocktail experience versus a seltzer experience. This is a “double hard” seltzer, meaning the ABV on it is about two times higher than the average seltzer (3-5% ABV). Moscow Mule is a whopping 8.7% ABV, so it actually gives a buzz that’s similar to a cocktail as well.

I’m certainly impressed, but it still isn’t really my thing. Despite that, I’m excited to see beer brewers branching out and producing a wide variety of beverages. A dynamic market is a good signafier of growth, which means lots of new things for the consumer to try.

2/5 Burps