A fan of cans? Three summer craft beers to try

Cans of beer – usually on the bottom shelves or in bargain bins – seem to be taking up more and more space in off-licences and supermarkets these days. In some outlets they’re in prime spots, up higher beside the craft bottles, while many of the cans have eye-catchingly cool artwork too.

Whiplash beers – a side project of Alex Lawes, the head brewer at Rye River – are always a good bet for weird and interesting graphics. Body Riddle, which depicts a kind of curious mangle of limbs, is a 4.5 per cent pale ale with plenty of citrus punch and juiciness, and is a good one for throwing in your bag for a sunny afternoon.

Southern Latitude by London brewery FourPure is a New England-style session IPA, so you can expect it to be a little murky and not too intense in flavour. At 4.4 per cent it’s another good one for summertime (and it’s got cheery pictures of kangaroos and caravans on the can), full of pineapple flavour and a great, juicy aroma with a touch of passionfruit and peach.

For a full-on peach experience give Peacher Man a try. This Belgian wit beer is made by London brewery Beavertown with apricot, vanilla pods, lemon zest and peach juice and comes in at 5 per cent – and it’s got a lovely friendly skeleton on the can.

Beer festivals to get you through the silly season

---

How about some Buckfast in that beer?

---

The challenges of choosing a good pub

---

Festival offers help-yourself beer tastings

---

You’ll get four for €10 craft cans in some off-licences but the prices can be quite variable, starting at about €2.70 upwards. One shop I visited was selling Brewdog’s 330ml Electric India at €4.60, but the same brewery’s Kingpin lager was €2.50. Danish brewery To Øl’s cans were at the €4.60-€5, while the hyped-up Cloudwater and Lervig brews were €6 and up. So it’s worth keeping an eye on the price before you grab a few cans.

@ITbeerista
beerista@irishtimes.com