Beer of the Weekend #828: Local's Light
This week I had the pleasure of going to East Lansing, Michigan, and hanging out with my boss for a few days. He and his family were amazing hosts; they fed me amazing food and made sure I was able to drink some of the Great Lake State’s best beer. I had a great time and am very thankful they allowed me to visit.
Before heading back to Iowa, I filled a cooler with some liquid research, of course. So, in light of my Michigan haul, I’ve decided to do something I have not done for a while: review two beers this weekend. The first is Local’s Light, brewed by the Short’s Brewery of Elk Rapids, Michigan.
The color is lightly hazy straw. About a finger of buttery, beige head dissipates slowly, leaving a frothy ring, a skim in the middle, and short trails of lacing. The aroma is sharp with scents of fruit, zest, grass, and corn. The corn lends the beer that classic American adjunct aroma; it makes me think of dark, local dive bars with worn and torn bar stools and vintage beer mirrors. The zest is prominent, though. The flavor is much the same with light fruit, grass, corn, and a prominent zest. The light fruit flavor reminds me of muskmelon. The zest fades as the beer continues to warm and the grass and corn become much more prominent. At the same time, the zest becomes more prominent in the aroma, becoming sharp and astringent much like lemon-scented dishwashing powder. (Maybe not that sharp, but it’s getting there.) It has a light hop spice that lingers on the tonsils and tongue.
Fun facts about Local’s Light:
• Style: American adjunct lager.
• Price: It’s hard to tell because the beers on the receipt are identified by codes. I assume it was $7.29 at the Meijer on West Lake Lansing Road in East Lansing, Michigan.
• Alcohol content: 5.2 percent ABV.
• IBU: 11.
• Famously, Michigan has a 10-cent deposit on bottles and cans. Unfortunately for me, since I brought everything back to Iowa, I won’t be able to redeem the $3.80 deposit I paid for five six-packs and two four-packs — unless, of course, I take all the empties with me whenever I return to Michigan. It may be worth doing just to say I redeemed bottles and cans in Michigan.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C.
Before heading back to Iowa, I filled a cooler with some liquid research, of course. So, in light of my Michigan haul, I’ve decided to do something I have not done for a while: review two beers this weekend. The first is Local’s Light, brewed by the Short’s Brewery of Elk Rapids, Michigan.
The color is lightly hazy straw. About a finger of buttery, beige head dissipates slowly, leaving a frothy ring, a skim in the middle, and short trails of lacing. The aroma is sharp with scents of fruit, zest, grass, and corn. The corn lends the beer that classic American adjunct aroma; it makes me think of dark, local dive bars with worn and torn bar stools and vintage beer mirrors. The zest is prominent, though. The flavor is much the same with light fruit, grass, corn, and a prominent zest. The light fruit flavor reminds me of muskmelon. The zest fades as the beer continues to warm and the grass and corn become much more prominent. At the same time, the zest becomes more prominent in the aroma, becoming sharp and astringent much like lemon-scented dishwashing powder. (Maybe not that sharp, but it’s getting there.) It has a light hop spice that lingers on the tonsils and tongue.
Fun facts about Local’s Light:
• Style: American adjunct lager.
• Price: It’s hard to tell because the beers on the receipt are identified by codes. I assume it was $7.29 at the Meijer on West Lake Lansing Road in East Lansing, Michigan.
• Alcohol content: 5.2 percent ABV.
• IBU: 11.
• Famously, Michigan has a 10-cent deposit on bottles and cans. Unfortunately for me, since I brought everything back to Iowa, I won’t be able to redeem the $3.80 deposit I paid for five six-packs and two four-packs — unless, of course, I take all the empties with me whenever I return to Michigan. It may be worth doing just to say I redeemed bottles and cans in Michigan.
The Quiet Man’s grade: C.
