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| Fully stolen from the Pontoon website |
A few years back, I began a series of posts on a Beer of the Week. I had originally set out to highlight whatever was in the fridge at the moment, sometimes as a means to discuss a particular style. I had a beer on Saturday and felt like it was the right one to get me back into the BotW space. I can’t promise that this will be a weekly feature, but I can promise to try to do something like this more often.
Have you ever had someone build something up in your mind? They experience a place or a food or – a beer – and incessantly describe every nuance and detail until you finally cave and run with joy and glee to share their blissful experience. More often than not, their descriptions, coupled with your own anticipation, create an image that cannot possibly be upheld when you finally take the plunge and embrace it firsthand.
For me – it was San Francisco. My parents had been and came home (bringing me a lousy t-shirt) and could not stop talking about how amazing and beautiful it was. A year and 7 billion stories later, the whole fam loaded up and headed to frigid San Fran in July. Long story short, it was not what I hoped it would be. As I quickly learned, San Francisco is indeed a wonderful place to visit … when you’re in your 30s or later. Taking a 100-hour drive (or so it felt) down the coast to a winery when you’re 10 years old is not on the bucket list. I had created some impossible Narnia-esque image of SFO that reality could not possibly match. But what does this have to do with beer?
Pontoon Brewing in Sandy Springs has had quite the successful first several months in their new location. They’re putting out some very solid beers, especially their special releases. One such release, Combustible Pineapple, was hyped to me so severely and continually that it caused a conundrum. Is there any way it can live up to the hype? Or will it be another drive down the PCH in the eyes of a pre-teen? I finally decided to try it out on Saturday. I only wish I could get my hands on more of it. Delicious … refreshing … smooth. It’s truly remarkable. It’s a hazy New England-style IPA, with tons of pineapple aroma. The curveball is from an emerging trend in beer – adding lactose. This adds a creaminess such that brewers have begun calling these beers “Milkshake-style.”
Yes – it held up to the hype. Please do yourselves a favor and watch out for Pontoon. They’re doing some amazing things, and I know more is to come. But this brings a new conundrum … when do I have my second and final can? I don’t want to wait, but I don’t want to be out either. I’ll do the smart thing and not wait. (Pro tip: don’t sit on your IPAs too long. They’re built to be enjoyed sooner rather than later.”)
Any beers you’d like us to review for future posts?
