This week on The Beer List, I’ll be introducing you to Hell or High Watermelon, by San Francisco’s 21st Amendment Brewery. Once upon a time, the American government deemed that rampant alcohol consumption had caused the country to lose its morals, so in its infinite wisdom, it outlawed booze altogether. In an appropriate nod to that dark period in our nation’s history, 21st Amendment Brewery named itself after the glorious Constitutional Amendment that repealed the ill-conceived act we know as “Prohibition”. 

As for the beer, Hell or High Watermelon is a refreshing wheat beer that unfortunately only comes in cans, as far as I’ve seen. One particular review I read on Beer Advocate (great site if you want differing opinions on any beer you can imagine or want to read about aspects such as mouthfeel, lacing, or the head) stated that the beer is much better on tap, which I’m sure is true. That’s the best way to have a beer, short of getting it freshly brewed at the source, while cans are the bottom rung of the ladder when it comes to taste or serving quality. The beer bears a light golden color, and is well-carbonated. Light wheat beers such as this are typically best served ice cold, but I’ve found that the watermelon taste comes out more if the beer warms up just a bit. To that point, the watermelon essence is in its place- it’s not overpowering in any way, and the beer is not noticeably sweet.

Hell or High Watermelon is a very agreeable, albeit standard, beer. It has a crisp mouthfeel to it, but it is very drinkable, and with an ABV just a touch under 5%, you probably won’t be falling off your barstool after a few. It’s a very solid beer for the spring and summer, but you can find it all year.

21st Amendment Brewery proudly brews in San Francisco, California. The brewery’s official website features information on its beers, where you can find them, the brewery itself and the attached restaurant, and some history of the company. Have you had Hell or High Watermelon on tap somewhere? Leave a comment and tell me what you think! Until next time, bottoms up!