Yes. Well. It's summer again, isn't it?
Do you know how I know this? It's certainly NOT because of the weather (70-ish today, in the sun, with very little actual fog - confused yet?). And really, it's not because of the produce at the market, because everything has been slowed down by the torrential rains of the past winter.
No, it's because of this stuff, that I once wrote about a few years ago: Watermelon Wheat.
21st Amendment's ode to the juiciest, slurpiest fruit of summer. We've done a bit of damage already this year: 2 Growlers, 2 six packs (they're canning the stuff now!), and I don't know how many pints at the bar.
But then, something happened. I took our Growlers in to be refilled today, and imagine my surprise when I looked up at the chalkboard and saw "Pomegranate Cider" written up there. It's possible that my pretty little Manolos carried me faster than they ever had, around the bar and practically leaping across it, to stop the bartendress from starting to fill that 2nd Growler.
"Wait, please", I said. "Can I get the Cider in that Growler, to go?" (as though I could possibly drink 64 ounces of cider in the bar!).
Five minutes later, I was prancing up 2nd Street to the car, two Growlers and one six-pack in tow. I called C to tell him what a sweet wife I was to pick up that six-pack of Watermelon Wheat (so that he'd have "fresh" beer in my absence later this week, natch), never alluding to the fact that the real reason had more to with my insatiable appetite for anything pomegranate.
So, how was it all?
The Watermelon Wheat is as thirst-quenchingly delicious as ever. I highly recommend serving it ice cold with a wedge of fresh watermelon. Dropping the melon into the glass gives you something slightly sweet and delightfully effervescent to nibble on once you've drained your glass. Oh, and in case you were wondering? It takes 400 POUNDS of watermelon to make each batch.
The Cider? Well. It was perhaps the most balanced cider I've had from a keg in a long time. The fragrance and essence of pomegranate is alive, with an acidity that reminds me of really beautiful rosés. Not too sweet, this stuff was incredibly well-suited to food, neither overpowering nor being overpowered.
21st Amendment's brewer, Shaun O'Sullivan, is really a gifted guy. In some ways, he reminds me of another one of my favorite mad scientists in that they both have an enormous appreciation for the the craft of creating a superior product, and aren't just slaves to what they think the masses want.
21st Amendment Brewery
563 2nd St
San Francisco, CA
415.369.0900
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