Day four of the Honestbrew beer advent calendar brings with it self proclaimed “Sunshine in a can”, which I can sort of understand given the lovely bright label design and the golden light beer within. I can’t however, quite shake the feeling that this description is a bit overly cheery and that really Equinox’s shiny yellow-chrome exterior is hiding more than just a juicy wheat beer inside.
I think they’re hiding a bully. A bully in a can.
All the evidence is there if you just take the time to look. The instructions on the side of the can range from being fairly polite (“Please keep me in the fridge if possible”) to slightly pushier (“The fresher I am, the better I taste, so don’t keep me in there too long” as if the beer was going to develop some sort of patina if not consumed in a quick and timely manner), to sounding quite like a 1950s gangster, donned head to toe in pinstripe, his gut protruding over an overly tight belt and a corpse decaying under the concrete on his building site.
After the can explains that “Like most wheat beers [Equinox] will have a slight haze to it” we are firmly encouraged that Metalman Brewing Co “recommend you don’t worry about it, and get on with enjoying the beer”.
Steady on Metalman Brewing Co! I will do, in my own time! If I want to worry about haze then I will do! I feel like when they were typing up these firmly worded instructions for enjoyment, the good people at the Metal Man Brewing Co had a long discussion about whether to use the word wise guy or not. I can quite easily imagine them debating whether or not to include a threat on the can that anyone not found enjoying the beer will take a long walk off a short bridge, followed by a snappy “capisce?” Once you start to examine the slightly 1940/50s Americana design the signs really start to come together. Equinox wants you to know that it is the most gangster beer you are ever likely to encounter.
Taste-wise it’s about as moreish as the next Wheat Lager. Healthy doses of citrus fruits and a cheeky hint of coriander create a pleasant flavour that seems out of place in the cold harsh depths of winter and better suited for consumption around a summer BBQ. If I can get my hands on it again I feel that I would enjoy it more in the great outdoors when I am not full of cold, but this was nice none-the-less, even if it was a little pushy.
Let's Drink This Beer! 