Beer Ballistic Beer Co Hawaiian Haze Pale Ale

The uniform worn by most brewers is black or navy blue - the kinds of colours that hide the myriad spills and splats and splashes they face on a daily basis. The uniform of Ballistic’s brewers? Loud Hawaiian shirts in garish colours. And now Ballistic have put the fun spirit of those shirts into a beer (and onto the label of the can) with the Hawaiian Haze DDH Pale Ale.

They’ve jammed in enough US and NZ hops – El Dorado, Rakau, Pacifica and Mosaic – to obscure any light trying to squeeze through. The resulting appearance is that of pineapple juice mixed with milk, but thankfully only the pineapple comes through in the sweet aroma. In the mouth, that sweetness is restrained, with the hops and the London ale yeast joining together to bring forth a tropical medley before light bitterness and tannic texture in the back balance out the fruitiness.

You can really taste the Hawaiian shirt.

Mick Wust