Coddington Watermelon Ale

Review Date 7/23/2000 By John Staradumsky

If ever there was a beer of summer, this is the one: watermelon ale! Think about those things you associate with summer: the Fourth of July, the beach, hot dogs, hamburgers, watermelon. The latter is perfect in hot weather. Served ice cold, sweet and succulent, juice dribbling down your chin as you eat it on a hot summer afternoon. Watermelon in beer though? Why not! I happen to enjoy fruit beers, and among the nearly 2400 beers I have sampled over the years a watermelon brew is new to me.

I arrive at Coddington Brewpub in Middletown, RI around 8:45 on a Saturday night in great anticipation of a new beer experience (something becoming increasingly rare for me these days). The watermelon ale is not yet on. No problem, I order a hefeweizen, another great summer beer. Cloudy yellow in color, rich yeasty nose, crisp malty palate, light and refreshing with tart wheat character. Clove and banana are here, along with a very quenching finish. One of the best Hefes I have had made in this country, bar none. Strongly reminiscent of Schneider Weiss with its big yeasty notes. The slice of lemon is optional. This beauty doesn’t last long.

My order of tangy, slightly spicy boneless Buffalo wings arrives around 9:20. Still no watermelon ale, so I get an India Pale Ale. Gotta have hops with my Buffalo wings. Crisp and malty, wonderful bitter finish, a great beer and perfect choice with my appetizer. Around ten o’clock, I drain my glass and look at the bartender hopefully.
“Is the watermelon ale on yet?” I ask.
“Not yet,” he replies, “we’re still waiting for the Cider Jack to kick.”

That’s OK. I order a Blueberry Cream. I am not leaving without trying the watermelon ale. The Blueberry Cream will tide me over nicely, however. Rich with fruit flavor, clean and refreshing, firm biscuit malt backbone and a spoonful of blueberries added for good measure, this is a Coddington staple, and a delicious one.

I slowly finish this one, it’s now 11 o’clock. I want my watermelon beer! I inquire as to the libation that is so rudely interfering with my quest to try this beer. It’s the Cider Jack Raspberry, so I order a pint to help clear the way. Hey! They didn’t make this here and it’s not beer, but it’s good! Somebody please drink some with me. Alas though no one did, and it seemed fated that I would not taste watermelon beer this night. I did not leave with a heavy heart however, as I had enjoyed so many other fine brews this evening. In true Schwarzenegger style, I turned to the bartender and vowed, “I’ll be back.”

The next night, I was. I brought a friend, and asked anxiously if the watermelon was on yet. Ack! Not yet. So, my friend and I each ordered a pint of the Cider Jack The first one poured fine, but as I watched intently the second one began to spatter wildly. Yes! The keg was empty. The line was cleaned, and I soon had a pint of the light golden colored brew before me. The nose is delicate, light malt and just a touch of fruit are perceptible. I finally take a sip: delicious! Crisp and refreshing, a light biscuity malt body, a subtle touch of watermelon flavor and a gentle balance of hops in the finish. The fruit adds character to the beer, but doesn’t make it sweet or cloying. A wonderful beer, truly a slice of summer in a glass! Excuse me now. I need to order another one.

And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.

*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.

(B)=Bottled, canned

(D)=Draft

 

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