The Wedding Slinger, a cocktail that we discussed briefly in our review of “Brooklyn Spirits: Craft Cocktails and Stories from the World’s Hippest Borough“, takes a seriously potent and delicious cocktail (i.e. the Manhattan), and adds a healthy dose of Ginger Ale to it, thus transforming it into an ALMOST session worthy libation that can be enjoyed over the course of a celebration that could last well into the wee small hours of the morning. While I doubt that this Manhattan variation will be as low ABV as a session beer like Evil Twin Brewing’s Bikini Beer, it will at the very least keep you from getting too tipsy, too quickly over the course of the night. We love a big, ballsy drink as much as the next guy or gal, but when you’re in it for the long haul, pacing yourself es muy importante.

When it comes time for a brewery to release an anniversary ale, some breweries will celebrate the occasion by creating an over the top, high ABV beer that will wow their loyal followers and show off their craft brewing prowess (We’re looking at you Stone, Port Brewing, and Firestone Walker! For the record, we wholeheartedly approve of your efforts). When it came time for Victory to release a beer in honor of their 19th Anniversary, instead of going the high gravity route like those other guys, they chose to release a Session IPA that clocks in at 4.5% ABV. It sounds to me like Victory plans to keep the party going all night long by serving up a beer that was custom made for an extensive drinking session. Victory, we like where your head’s at!

Before we get to our review, let’s find out a bit more about the Anniversary 19 Ale. Once again, Victory has pulled together a highly informative YouTube clip that talks a bit about the beer and also gives us a “behind the scenes” look inside their art department. Here it is:

Let’s get on with our review…

ABV : 4.5%

: 4.5% Appearance : Golden yellow with a slight orange hue. Lots of clear, fast rising bubbles that form a fluffy head which dissipates quickly. Moderate lacing.

: Golden yellow with a slight orange hue. Lots of clear, fast rising bubbles that form a fluffy head which dissipates quickly. Moderate lacing. Aroma Limpd : In a word…fantastic! The fragrant yet not overpowering hops blended with some sugar and some malt. Wow! G-LO : Bright, citrusy hops when you take that first sniff. I’m thinking orange and grapefruit. After that, there’s some honey and biscuity malt coming through.

Taste Limpd : Creamy with a good balance of hoppy bitterness and malt. There is some grapefruit and some syrupy sweetness. A little muted for an IPA but then again this is a session IPA. G-LO : Lightly carbonated with a somewhat creamy mouthfeel. Starts off lightly bitter with bright citrus flavors followed by some pithy grapefruit zest. Smooths out by the middle with some honey sweetness. The finish is lightly bitter and fairly crisp with just a bit of lingering grapefruit zest.



The Verdict

Limpd : Now, this is an IPA I can get behind. The softer, hoppy bitterness brings out the overall flavor of a great beer. As sessions beers go, this is a must try.

: Now, this is an IPA I can get behind. The softer, hoppy bitterness brings out the overall flavor of a great beer. As sessions beers go, this is a must try. G-LO: While we definitely enjoy a high octane brew, it’s great to see so many brewers putting out flavorful beers that you can enjoy over the course of an extended drinking session without the fear of getting snockered after having just one or two. If you enjoy beers like Founders All Day IPA or Great Divide Lasso, then Victory Anniversary 19 Ale is definitely worth trying. Here’s hoping that it finds its way into a can for poolside summertime drinking.

_________________________________________

Many thanks to Victory Brewing Company for sending us this sample!