$7.99 750 mL, Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA.

About twenty-five years ago when I was taking my first tentative steps as a teenager into alcohol, one of the the most common drinks that we used to experiment with was a “Lager and Black”. Very simply this would be a pint of macro lager, often something like a Carling Black Label, Carlsberg, Heineken or the like, with a large dash of Blackcurrant cordial (syrup) thrown in the top. This was simply a variation on the much more common “Lager & Lime”. This produced a violently sweet, purple colored concoction that was easy for a kid to drink. Twenty-five years later as a BA I pick up a Belgian Lambic Cassis and frankly (with a few minor) details don’t see much difference!

Obviously the color and aroma are what first hit you with this beer, with a lovely looking pink head on the top of a purple body. The sweet and sour combination make this brew alarmingly drinkable too.

At first I get nothing but the blackcurrant taste, and even after some time this doesn’t recede, but it is slightly highlighted with some more bitter notes from the beer as the bottle is emptied. The blackcurrant is really very overpowering and the only difference between this beer and my original Lager & black is that it is smoother and much more carbonated.

I really enjoyed this, but strictly as a novelty a couple of times a year. In some ways, not really a serious beer at all.