Hitachino White Ale: beer for the lightweight
Posted on 14. Jun, 2009 by Sheila in food
Hoppy? Malty? Say what? The key words I need to hear from a bartender when ordering beer are pale ale and fruity. Really, just tell me it’s light beer and I’ll drink it.
Hitachino White Ale is one of my favorite special beers that my boyfriend discovered when we had dinner at Campanile. When the bottle came to our table my first reaction was ooh, I like the label’s design. Then I took a sip and was as impressed by the taste since it fit my girlish beer requirements. Mild, fruity, not too bitter and yet gives a good buzz.
Since that night, we began our pursuit to find Hitachino White Ale to drink at home and eventually found out that it’s not that easy to find. What we did discover after several trips to different stores was that the Hitachino brand also carries other types of ales. We would be so excited to see the little red owl that we just grabbed whatever kind it was. Oh, how naive we were.
As a result of our White Ale search, we have also tried Nest Beer Amber Ale and Red Rice Ale and although in our minds we thought they would be just as good, they are vastly different and cannot compare to our favorite. Secondly, I am complete sucker for packaging. The Red Rice Ale in a red label instead of blue? Aww. I’m sold. Taste? Boo. I took the first sip and gave the rest to the kitchen sink. Anything that can be compared to the taste of cough medicine is always a thumbs down. Ooh, harsh but I’m obviously not an expert so you might like it. As for the Amber Ale, it’s a “meh”. It’s a decent beer with a darker flavor but for what it’s worth, I will have to go with the White Ale.
You can find Hitachino ales at BevMo! (if you’re lucky), Whole Foods (I’ve only seen Nest Beer Amber Ale), and your local specialty wine & liquor stores (your best bet).
P.S. Can you tell we’ve been collecting the bottle caps? They’re too cute to throw away.
