What the heck is a Jackalope? A rabbit with antlers for one thing. A brewery in Nashville, Tennessee for another. Should you ever see a Jackalope in the wild, know that you’ve witnessed a rare thing. Then too, Jackalope the brewery is a rare thing as well. It was founded by two ladies, Bailey Spaulding and Robyn Virball, unusual in an industry dominated by men. That wasn’t always the case, as there was a time when brewsters were more common than brewers.

My first Jackalope beer is Thunder Ann American Pale Ale. I picked this beer up in Nashville on a recent trip as I mixed my own six at Kroger. I’m a big fan of the American Pale Ale style, mostly because it has malt and more hops than a traditional English-style pale ale.

Jackalope Thunder Ann American Pale Ale is a tasty example of American Pale Ale. It’s named for the wife of Davy Crockett, Sally Ann Thunder Ann Whirlwind Crockett. From the can label:

Rough and tough was Thunder Ann,

Took Davy Crockett as her man,

She wrassled bears and lassoed snakes,

Baked alligators into cakes,

Her legend lives inside this brew,

With water, hops, and barley too,

So drink it up and drink it well,

Like Thunder Ann, go give ‘em hell.

Jackalope Thunder Ann American Pale Ale has an alcohol content of 5.5% by volume with 37 IBUs. It was running $8.99 a six-pack in Nashville.

Jackalope Thunder Ann American Pale Ale pours to a hazy orange amber color with a thick head of creamy foam and a robust resin and citrus hop nose. Taking a sip, the beer has medium caramel and toasty honey malt up front, appropriate to a pale ale. The hops are bright and grapefruit citric but quite piney and resiny too. The beer has a noticeable long dry bitterness in the finish that I really like.

Yeah, you bet I’d wrassle with Thunder Ann again.

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

(D)=Draft

Home