So there I was, a thousand miles from my former home of Rhode Island, settling into my new home of Rome, Georgia. It had been a long trip spanning several days to get down here, but we finally arrived with nothing more than a carload of clothes, books, comic books, a TV and our DVD collection, and of course a few coolers of beer.

We took a chance coming down, a chance that we’d find a place to live and suitable jobs. A chance that all would go well and that our savings would hold out until we found work. We’d go back later, of course, and retrieve our furniture and belongings and haul them down to our new home.

So what’s all that got to do with this beer? A lot, really. It dawned on me as I sat out one warm night here sipping a bottle of Sweetwater Blue that just about every microbrewer out there took a chance just like I did when they decided to open their doors. They took a leap of faith, not knowing what the future would hold but putting forth a remarkable optimism that things would turn out well.

Sweetwater took a leap of faith here in Georgia opening a microbrewery, and then bottling a fruit beer to boot. Certainly, they aren’t the first to brew a blueberry ale. I’ve had many a wonderful berry brew in New England from Seadog, Bar Harbor, Coddington Brewpub, Boston Beer Works, and many more. Here, though, in this area, they certainly have broken new ground with this wonderful ale.

As I was driving down here my sense of adventure and excitement at relocating to a new locale was tempered with a melancholy over those things and people I was leaving behind. One of the things I thought I’d miss most was blueberry ale. Of course, when I got down here the first thing I did (after finding an apartment and unpacking) was to scope out the local beer scene. I found a liquor store with a great beer selection, and Ironically the first new beer I stumbled upon was Sweetwater Blue, a blueberry ale.

Sweetwater Blue pours to a hazy yellow color with a small, spritzy white head and a sour fruity nose. The palate is very, very blueberry in character, light with malt, but mostly like rolling around a fresh berry in your mouth. The finish is slightly sour with more berry flavor. This is a great brew, refreshing, quenching, and perfect for the weather down here.

So there you go. Take a chance in life. Go for that better job. Make that move you’ve been planning. Try a new beer, one you’ve never tried before. Life has a way of surprising you sometimes, but if you never take that chance, you’ll never know what you might be missing.

Update: July 28, 2012: My latest sampling of Sweetwater Blue finds the beer as tasty and refreshing as ever. The light biscuity malt body makes the perfect stage for the soft, fruity blueberry notes to play on. Blueberry and beer make a match made in heaven, I think, especially in this brutal heat we've been experiencing in 2012. Berry and wheat tartness makes the finish very crisp and refreshing indeed. Still a favorite, I like it in the bottle with fresh blueberries from my backyard.

Update 10/09/2016: Looking for something different and refreshing? Taco Mac offers up the Black and Blue, a variation of the famous Black and Tan but here featuring Guinness layered atop Sweetwater Blue. Very delicious, the bright blueberry fruit really pops against the chocolaty roasty stout.

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

 

 

 

 



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