Shogayu Smash
Lamplighter Brewing Company

This was an odd one, for sure.

The can says there is 200 lbs of fresh ginger re-used from Bon Me's ginger lemonade. The smell makes you wonder if that's an undercount. Pours very light, like straw. Very little head. Powerful flavor at 4%, for sure. The ginger isn't hidden on the nose or the palette but the taste is more subtle than the smell. It tastes like a high-quality ginger ale. I didn't think I liked it at first; as I drank it, it grew on me.

This is one of those perfect "just got done mowing the lawn in the heat" beers. Light, flavorful, low alcohol, effervescent.

I can't say how this compares to the style (not a lot of grisettes out there at my local packy) but it's interesting. I'm glad I tried it and I'd probably buy another if I saw it in the store.

cool beer, neat packaging, i was pumped to try this, a neat grisette with fresh ginger, possibly some lemon, really summery and tasty, not as light as it could be, and the ferment is a little safe and samey for the style, an estery french type saison strain run warm, but that does not diminish this effort. pale with some haze, a little dense and maybe a touch less carbonated than would be ideal, this style wants to pop and fizz and this isnt quite at that level, minimal head retention, unflattering in the style. the nose is cool though, citrus up front, white wine and green apple from the yeast, minerals and raw wheat it seems like, perhaps a pop of rye malt spiciness which sets the ginger up well, zesty and fresh to me, fresh and fragrant and different, the ginger is neat with the white pepper notes the yeast comes with after it warms for a moment. the flavor is similar, ginger all through it, natural as can be, juiced and pungent up front, more balanced in the back half as the grain picks up, it stays dry though which is nice, more citrus coming too, lemon pulp and rind, and it does take some bitterness from that it seems, not much of a hop thing going on but its not missed here. this is clever, asian in essence with the ginger, sort of a cultural fusion, white winey, light tang from the fruity part is complimentary and works to lighten this. it could be a tad more refined and bubbly overall, but this is a cool recipe, a neat base beer concept for these flavors, and probably an epic food beer with the right cuisine. lamplighter is doing some real cool stuff and it was neat to dip into a few of their offerings while back east!

 

Small head that fades to no bubbles and no lace. Hazy with a green tinged, light straw color.

Strong ginger initially. There’s a saltiness present to the neutral pale malt aroma.

Decent body with a higher carbonation. The ginger is the dominant flavor. The first taste, though, is of a thin pale malt. The ginger comes in slowly culminating in the swallow. Very much like a literal ginger ale (not sweet). Short aftertaste.