Reviewers return to the fridge to sample miscellaneous brews

We’ll preface this beer review by coming clean—we couldn’t get together to do our standard Tuesday night writing/drinking because Jack was at a taco joint in the Twin Cities for Valentine’s Day. What a simp. Chuck was filling the eternal void of sadness with $3.50 draws at the Middy after his date with the pottery wheel at CSB (so close, yet so far away). In lieu of not having prepared a variety pack to sample, the laziest beer reviewers in Central Minnesota once again are giving you our stray fridge beers review, part two, Electric Boogaloo. Luckily, Chuck brought some heavy hitters from renowned local breweries. Jack brought an eighth of a bag of old box wine (Bota Box pinot grigio) and a Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss. At least you know who is serious about their beer around here. Quite honestly one of our most fun reviews to date. As always, please do not drink underage and Stop @ Buzzed. No matter how you spent your Valentine’s Day, we love you, our dear readers, very much.

**Honey Weiss – Leinenkugel’s**

Very good, clean beer. Tried and true. Jack’s parents had this on tap at their wedding, and it’s a mainstay in the Doyle household. You could drink this beer on any day, any temperature and any setting and know you’ll be getting a reliable and refreshing companion. The definition of a lunchpail beer, and it isn’t sold at an insane price. It’s like the indie cousin of Summer Shandy that listens to bands that claim to be “avant garde” but really just make music that sounds like a bunch of garage tools being thrown at a sheet metal roof.

**Spare Parts Dark Lager – Blackstack Brewing**

This brew claims to be 100% pure beer. Our take: a perfect compromise for folks who don’t want to commit to a porter or stout, but still want a full-bodied, bitter little number to keep them warm on a winter’s night. The best part? There’s a sweet finish to keep you coming back for the next sip. It has a bitter, earthy, yet pleasant flavor. Chuck enjoys this genre of beer—dark, smoked lagers—because you’re still getting that light crisp sip with darker, more complex flavor profiles. We’re surprised at how earnestly we reviewed this one, but it deserved a more academic approach.

**Surly Drops & Drops Hazy IPA – Surly Brewing Co**

Jack took a sip of this, then made the same face you’d make if you saw Thomas Gutzmer hit his fifth shot in a row off the dribble with two guys on him in intramural hoops. Unbelievable beer. This brew is the frontrunner for IPA of the year. A juicy, fruit forward brew with a hoppy bite that doesn’t overwhelm the tastebuds. It’s everything you want in a fruity hazy IPA, and then some. This is one of Chuck’s favorite IPA’s, and he was glad that he and Jack could finally embrace after a very heated column last week.

**VooDoo Ranger Fruit Force Fruit Punch IPA – New Belgium**

We purposefully saved this one for a good time. It isn’t our first time drinking this, but it will DEFINITELY be our last. For continuity purposes we reviewed the Juice Force (orange flavor) last semester and were delighted. This brew’s flavor couldn’t be farther from our lofty expectations set by Juice Force. It’s patently offensive that New Belgium decided this was okay to sell. It tasted like hoppy cough meds and poor craftsmanship.

**End of the Bota Box – Pinot Grigio**

Not good. Save this one for Saturday night when you’re just looking to get the job done (responsibly). Great value pick, though. Kind of like Jaylen Nowell or Josh Minott for our readers locked into the Timberwolves bench rotation. Chuck says it’s a first kiss wine. Sweet off the bat, but notes of regret at the end.

Bennies, if you want a guy who will bake for you but then forget to text you because of Serena Williams playing tennis, we have the one for you. For any lonely Bennies out there, we can share a drink called loneliness, and it’s better than drinkin’ alone. On a more random note, during the writing of this review, we decided to make a playlist titled “Songs to play laser tag to.” If interested, check it out from doylejack19 on Spotify. The season is dwindling, and we’re living each day to its fullest. Love you all.