I just love a beer with a funny name. Even better is a beer with a funny, punny name. You know, like Sweetwater Take Two Pils. You know, take two pils and call me in the morning? Get it? That’s pretty funny in itself, but since this beer is sort of kind of Sweetwater’s second take on a pilsner, the name has double meaning. More on that later.

Sweetwater’s Take Two Pils was introduced in this  the summer of 2014, really the spring I guess but I bought mine mid-summer. I’m just finishing up my last bottle in August as I type. Here’s what Sweetwater says about the beer on the label:

Take Two Pils is a step into an alternate reality for Sweetwater, a head-first dive down the rabbit hole into the Wonderland world of lagers. This adventurous golden blonde German style pilsner is brewed with a mad hatter’s dose of spicy floral hops. It’s beautifully Bohemian in body, earthy in soul, and its moving low. Go ask Alice, I think she’ll know.

Ingredients from the website:

Grains: Pilsner, Munich, Carapils

Hops: Mt. Hood, Saaz, Styrian Golding

Yeast: Czech Pilsner

Sweetwater Take Two Pils has an alcohol content of 5.5% by volume and 35 IBUs. My bottles have a best by date of 9/03/14. I paid $8.99 for a six-pack of this one.

Sweetwater Take Two Pils pours to a bright golden color with a thick unruly head of tightly packed bubbles and a very inviting nose of soft biscuit malt and lightly floral hops. Taking a sip, Take Two has a firm biscuity malt character up front just as I like in my pilsners. It doesn’t have much time to strut its stuff, though, because the hops quickly show up, big and herbal, minty-grassy and bitter in the best German tradition. Indeed, the hoppiness is huge and lingers long and dry on the palate after sipping.

The hoppiness reminds me of the first incarnation of Sweetwater Road Trip, which was a pilsner style ale. This time, though, you get a genuine lager. See what I mean about second take on a pilsner? All in all, a very credible stab at the style, and a great beer for the warm summer weather here in Georgia.

Updated October 8, 2015: Sweetwater is the featured beer of the month for October, 2015, and tonight I'm once again enjoying a delicious mug of crisp, biscuity malty and earthy hoppy Take Two Pils. Not a bad deal for $5.50, and as always on pint glass Thursdays you get a free logo glass with purchase.

 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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