What I’m drinking this week: Mason McCreature from Creative Creature

Name: Mason McCreature

Brewery: Creative Creature

Style: Smoothie sour ale

ABV: 5% ABV

A smoothie sour ale might seem like an an odd pick for fall, but Creative Creature’s concoction just screams Halloween.

For this ale, the El Cajon brewery teamed up with San Marcos-based Mason Ale Works to make a collab beer dubbed Mason McCreature. And said creature is depicted on the purple can label — created by artist @nonheinous on Instagram — which shows a cartoon man holding a gas mask and a hammer. Oh, and he’s covered in purple, fleshy guts with part of his ribcage sticking out.

Yet the beverage itself tastes nothing like the guts and gore advertised on its label. This smoothie sour ale — made with banana, acai, blueberry, raspberry, coconut and vanilla — is sweet and refreshing. From the thick consistency to pink color to specks of berry seeds, Mason McCreature very much looks, and tastes, like a traditional smoothie. In fact, if you put this in front of me without context, I may mistake it as one.

Luckily, the 5% ABV won’t do too much damage. Plus, this isn’t the drink you’re going to be downing in one gulp. With its heavier consistency — I’d place it between a juice and an acai bowl — the creamy ale feels like a meal in itself, so I wouldn’t recommend pairing it with actual food. However, no one said anything about Halloween candy ...

Mason McCreature is distributed in limited batches. Follow Creative Creature on Instagram at @creativecreaturebrewing for can release updates.