What I’m drinking this week: Blackberry Pie from Abnormal Beer Co.
Celebrate Thanksgiving with this Imperial Berliner Weiss
Name: Blackberry Pie
Brewery: Abnormal Beer Co.
Style: Imperial Berliner Weiss
ABV: 6.8%
While I’m a year-round beer drinker, I’m not a pie person ... that is, until the holidays roll around. And since its Thanksgiving weekend, Abnormal Beer Co.’s Pie Series caught my eye.
Yes, you heard me right: Abnormal has not one, but multiple pie beers. The series includes three kettle sours — Lemon Meringue, Key Lime and Blackberry Pie — along with a Maple Pecan Pie stout. Though originally brewed for Pi Day (3/14), the series felt like a serendipitous fit for fall.
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While I wanted to try them all, I started with the Blackberry Pie. At first glance, the beer runs the risk of being overlooked, packaged in a dark purple can without much artwork or design elements. But don’t let its subtle label fool you, as this brew is bursting with flavor.
The beer, which I expected to match its can label and namesake fruit, turned out to be pink. Did I accidentally order a Strawberry Pie?
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A single sip put all my suspicions to rest. The tartness on my tongue placed me in a field of blackberry bushes. Wait a few seconds and you’ll be greeted by a sweet aftertaste, thanks to the added vanilla and cinnamon (meant to mimic the flavor of pie crust).
The Imperial Berliner Weiss offers a refreshing twist on dessert beers, which I’ve always found too heavy to pair with a meal — especially Thanksgiving dinner. This year, once the turkey leaves the table, I can’t wait to have my pie ... and drink it, too.
Abnormal Beer Co.’s Pie Series is available at various retailers, as well as its tasting room at 16990 Via Tazon in Rancho Bernardo. Learn more at abnormalbeer.co.
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