What I’m drinking this week: Fun Yum from Pariah Brewing Company
Would you try bubblegum beer?
Name: Fun Yum
Brewery: Pariah Brewing Company
Style: India Pale Ale
ABV: 6.8%
IBU: 32
Would you try bubblegum beer?
Before this column, my answer probably would have been no. But when I saw the can of Fun Yum on the shelf — from North Park’s Pariah Brewing Company, which expanded to Baltimore, Md., just last month — the beer practically begged me to take it home.
True to its name, the beer’s can art is bright and bold. The hot pink, paint-spattered background is accented by teal lettering in bubble font. Fresh! Juicy! Fun Yum!
Despite the aggressive branding — after some sleuthing, I determined the can art was likely influenced by Bubble Yum — I didn’t really notice the bubblegum flavor. For me, the sugar element tasted more like a fruity cocktail than children’s candy, with notes of coconut and apricot.
Fun Yum is soft and silky on the tongue, perhaps due to its choice of Cashmere hops. I was surprised with how drinkable it was. And unlike other IPAs I’ve struggled to finish in the past, this drinkability extended to the entire life of the beer.
That’s right — this is an IPA. A bubblegum IPA? Weird choice, but a choice I’m happy I made. IPA lovers, you’ve won this round.
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