Latest news with #Hamm's
USA Today
23-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Breckenridge's Spring Forward IPA is a throwback. It's a toss up whether that's good
Breckenridge's Spring Forward IPA is a throwback. It's a toss up whether that's good Welcome back to FTW's Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey. Breckenridge feels like it's always been there. Maybe not with the cache of a Sam Adams or a Sierra Nevada, but lurking on the shelves of your local bottle shop since you hit drinking age. The brewer has, in fact, only been around since 1990. Which, sources tell me is 35 years ago and... good god. My own existential crisis aside, it seemed to embody the rising tide of craft brewing in that era. It made interesting beers outside the lagers that dominated America's macrobreweries. It had funky packaging and art. It came from the exotic land of Colorado, home of John Elway and neon ski pants. What wasn't to like? Despite all these positives, it never seemed to break through the way its peers did. Even now, as part of a national conglomerate (Tilray), Breckenridge feels more like the Errict Rhett in a league of Emmitt Smiths. Now that I've appropriately remembered a guy -- not an insult! Rhett was good! For the time! -- let's take a look at Breckenridge's new spring seasonal. Spring Forward Grapefruit IPA: C+ It pours with a little less carbonation than expected, but still leaves a quarter inch head that lingers well after the bottle has emptied. The smell off the top is split between resin-y hops and grapefruit. Together it's a little rough, but also appealing in a "oh, so this could be interesting" kind of way. The first sip is more bitter than expected for a spring beer. The hops are tart but not especially juicy or danky. That puts a lot of the lift onto the grapefruit, which gets it about halfway up before running out of gas. The citrus lingers in the aftertaste and does mellow out that bitter hop taste, but the overall impression feels like a throwback to the early days of IPAs. Except, you know, with fruit. It's a little underwhelming and surprisingly... divisive? for a national craft brewer like Breckenridge. Which, honestly, makes me respect the effort a little more. There's a certain crispness that I appreciate. But the IPA of it all is a little simple and single note. You can do better. Would I drink it instead of a Hamm's? This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I'm drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That's the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm's. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink Breckenridge's Spring Forward IPA over a cold can of Hamm's? It's a totally fine pale ale. I'll stick with the Hamm's, though.
USA Today
19-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
The Original Southside cocktail is a glorious crash of flavors
The Original Southside cocktail is a glorious crash of flavors Welcome back to FTW's Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey. The Original Southside is an old Chicago cocktail. It's also, to be clear, threading a bunch of needles. It's a prohibition-era recipe and it absolutely looks like one. Gin, lemon and mint -- basic flavors that could be friends or enemies. Then you've got the process of getting it into a can, keeping it shelf stable and introducing bubbles to the mix. Unlike the soft landing spot of a low-alcohol seltzer that can be flattened with artificial flavors, it also clocks in at 10 percent alcohol by volume (ABV). So, yeah, lots of moving parts. The degree of difficulty is high. Let's see if it sticks the landing. The Original Southside gin cocktail: A I'm drinking this the way gin drinks are meant to be enjoyed: outside on a warm day. Cracking the can unveils everything the can promises. Lemons, gin and mint, in that order. My brain is poisoned to process clean lemon and sharp booze as cleaning supplies, but that merely suggests I'm getting a drink that is lemony fresh. The first sip is a perfect balance between lemon, mint and bubbles. The gin clocks in as well, but it's minimal -- especially for a cocktail that clocks in at 10 percent ABV. That raft of carbonation carries everything along wonderfully, giving you a slick, nearly creamy texture. That would be for naught if the drink didn't taste good. But this is, to be clear, awesome. Lemon and mint sounds like a toothpaste nightmare. But here the mint adds an extra dimension to the reliable sweet/tart of lemonade. The Original Southside tosses an extra ingredient into the mix and it lands perfectly. This is crushable to the point of danger It's wonderful for hot day drinking but holds up in hoodie weather, too. It's clean and easy and finishes dry enough to keep you coming back. Gin is a delicate spirit that can be a detriment in the wrong combination. Southside turned it into an asset. This rules. Would I drink it instead of a Hamm's? This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I'm drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That's the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm's. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink The Original Southside gin cocktail over a cold can of Hamm's? Look at the can. Look at this smug-[expletive] lemon. Why's he so self satisfied? Because he knows his cocktail is awesome. My only concern is drinking too many, too fast at 10 percent ABV.
USA Today
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Red Bull's Summer Edition is more proof the company runs on a different plane
Red Bull's Summer Edition is more proof the company runs on a different plane Welcome back to FTW's Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey. Few companies put the care into their press mailers that Red Bull does. About once every three months, a uniquely shaped package arrives at my door. Inside is the latest seasonal energy drink and some branded swag that's moderately on theme. The Winter Edition came with fake ice to crack and an ice pack for warmer days ahead. The Spring Edition... well, I don't quite recall what came with that one. But the Summer Edition? Oh, friends, I will remember this Red Bull... item no matter what. I do not know what to do with this... poncho? Muumuu? I feel like I should be overseeing the process to elect the pope of Burning Man. I look like the last person you want to sit next to on any form of public transportation. If I wore this to pick up my child at school the police would be informed, and rightfully so. Still, it's a lovely gesture. Importantly, it also has zero effect on the actual taste of the newest varietal. So let's see if Red Bull Summer Edition is any good. Summer Edition Sugar free: A True to form, it pours a cloudy white. This makes it look like old arctic cherry Powerade, a flavor that definitely understood where cherries grow. It smells, bam, like gummy peach rings. That's not a Red Bull thing; it's pretty much endemic to peach flavor across the booze to energy spectrum. I may not be using "endemic" correctly. But I use it often and it's resulted in the splotchy pink abomination seen above, so clearly it's working. The first sip is a clean balance between juicy peach and the acidic backbone of Red Bull. That tang hangs over each gulp, but it's a winning formula that snaps off each pull cleanly to leave minimal aftertaste and keep you coming back for more. The peach plays into that, adding noticeable sweetness to the Sweetarts base to create a full-bodied drink. There's nothing complex about it. It's what Red Bull does best; adding new fruit flavor to the drink that defines the basic energy drink structure. That simplicity makes this a crushable caffeine boost; even poured over ice this can was finished in about five minutes. It thrives in sugar-free form, leaving behind few hints this is a sucralose product even if nothing about it feels especially natural. All in all, pretty great. Even if I'm uncertain what to do about the muumuu. Would I drink it instead of a Hamm's? This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I'm drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That's the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm's. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink Red Bull's Summer Edition over a cold can of Hamm's? Yep. It's great.
USA Today
28-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- USA Today
Muscle Milk's smores protein shake tastes like a Pop-Tart. Do with that what you will
Muscle Milk's smores protein shake tastes like a Pop-Tart. Do with that what you will Welcome back to FTW's Beverage of the Week series. Here, we mostly chronicle and review beers, but happily expand that scope to any beverage that pairs well with sports. Yes, even cookie dough whiskey. Protein powder has become a regular part of my diet. In part because it compels me, at least slightly, to work out. But mixing in a scoop of protein with my coffee not only serves as a useful breakfast that keeps me from getting hungry until, say, 2 p.m. but also makes my cheap flavored coffee feel much fancier. This has typically been whatever winds up on sale at Costco or splashed across my personalized recommendations on Slickdeals. As such, Muscle Milk has typically been an outlier -- a heavyweight brand mostly static with its pricing. While I'd seen it in the coolers at my old gym, I'd never splurged on a carton. After breaking down Pure Protein's offerings and Fulfil's bars, Muscle Milk reached out with the chance to try a new-ish flavor. I'm down for all things smores -- especially the now discontinued Ritz Bits. Now I get to dot my morning with a ready-made shake before my extremely basic afternoon dad workout. Let's see what we've got. Smores: B- It pours a dense brown, looking like a creamy chocolate shake all the way. It smells a bit sweeter than you'd expect, or maybe right on par for a drink that's got heavy marshmallow influence to it. It doesn't taste like a smore. It tastes like a Pop Tarts smores pastry. It's sweet, with a dense sugar feel despite zero sugars in the actual drink. It's thick enough that drinking through a straw is tricky, which helps it feel a bit more authentic to a protein shake. Your feelings on it will depend on how much sweetness you can tolerate. The creamy feel of casein protein gives way to an artificial sugar that leaves a sharp taste on your tongue and coats the roof of your mouth. If you're looking for a dessert, this will scratch that itch at 170 calories and 25 grams of protein. Ultimately, that's good enough for me. It won't be my morning, mix-it-with-coffee protein (although...), but it's a solid post-workout reward. While the protein-to-calorie ratio isn't great here, it's sweet enough to justify its position. It's not my favorite, but it's fine. Would I drink it instead of a Hamm's? This a pass/fail mechanism where I compare whatever I'm drinking to my baseline cheap beer. That's the standby from the land of sky-blue waters, Hamm's. So the question to answer is: on a typical day, would I drink Muscle Milk's smores protein shake over a cold can of Hamm's? Well huh, I'm beginning to think this is an imperfect metric. I do like the taste, but it's a lot. It's more dessert than morning shake, but there's room for that. Personally, I'd like a better calorie-to-protein ratio, but it's fine.
