It's fair to say Alice Springs the place has endured a rough start to the year, and many of the businesses there have been suffering as a result. It's also fair to say that Alice Springs the brewery has been doing a fine job of bringing positive vibes and fun beers to the town since launching – we even picked them as our Breakthrough Brewery of 2022 in The Territories end of year review.
And when it comes to fun beers, you can add their Smashing Mango Sour to the list. When I called in back in 2020, they were just starting to test the water with sour beers on tap at the brewery: would such things prove a step too far for the NT crowd? Clearly not, as there's been a steady stream since.
In these days of smoothie and pastry sours, you'd probably see the name Smashing Mango Sour, not to mention its vibrant can design, and be expecting something along those lines; yet here you've got a beer that looks more like Champagne, courtesy of its clarity, fine bead and white head. The mango comes across more as juice or extract than fleshy purée, and in tandem with the sprightly Philly Sour yeast strain keeps the whole affair light and well-suited to Alice in the hotter months. Equally, it feels like the sort of fruited beer you might enjoy in a northern European bar, and one you could use to entice seltzer drinkers into the world of beer.
James Smith
Published March 3, 2023 2023-03-03 00:00:00
