Slushy XL - Straws
450 North Brewing Company

It's like they say, there's no biz like slush biz. To achieve such blockbuster acclaim, its going to take a thrilling amount of fruit to entertain the tastebuds. 450 North thinks that a double dose of rasberries, lime, cherry and lychee can steal the show.

Deep and ruddy with reds, maroons and berry stained mauve allows Straws to carry a densely packed slushie-looking appearance that clings to the glass and drifts across the nose with fruit pulp, juices and a berry filled perfume. Expectedly sweet, the underpinnings of cereal, jam, fructose and jelly is the stuff of is certainly worthy of sneaking into the show.

But the star of the game is the fruit. Red berries, citrus, tropical fruit, cider, winey spritzer and rounded with the acidic zing of vinous fruit, the flavors are wrapped in a jammy juiciness with a pleasantly tangy late taste. A mild peppery bitterness comes with light fruit pectins and a hint of hop resins for an offset of sweetness and a balance for the fruits in a tangy, lightly spicy and juicy finish.

Full bodied, smooth, creamy and plush on the palate, the smoothie ale's textures may be pleasantly cloying to drink but its delightful in taste. A mere can shared among a long line of movie-goers on opening night.