At first you might think of the Peach Fizz at Mutt & Jess as a veranda drink, something from a more elegant age. It resembles an old-fashioned fizz, with bright fruit bubbling in a carbonated frenzy.
The Peach Fizz is refreshing, spilling aromas of freshly sliced peaches and breezy summer meadows. But then you remember it’s also just a beer — one of Jessie Cahill’s most popular craft ales, blended with peach nectar.
“People like it,” Cahill reported. “Even a lot of beer drinking guys are into it.”
Mutt & Jess offer several blends of beer and fruit, including the peach, mango, lemon and cranberry — the last after a patron’s request.
“It’s one I didn’t care for, but they did,” Cahill said.
The cool drinks work on steaming summer days in part because of brisk fruit, of course. Shandy, a blend of beer and lemonade, remains a staple in England and naturally brewed ciders have grown in popularity. But Cahill builds his beer cocktails on the versatile Beware the Blonde Ale, and does so with a deft hand. Balance is critical for the mix of sugary juice and pale ale to work.
“We use just enough nectar for a good flavor,” Cahill explained. “You can still taste the beer.”
Beware the Blonde adds depth to the peach then begins transforming it’s placid character with hints of spice, a bite of citrus and lightly scored grain. The combination is fresh and light, yet the fruit nectar is unable to disguise that alcoholic swat Cahill appreciates from his brews.
Of course, many brewers scorn the muddling of anything peachy, tomato-ey (think red beer) or otherwise keen into something they’ve crafted and labored over. Cahill just offers an open-minded shrug.
“I don’t know,” he said, dismissing beer snobbery. “We just liked the idea of having a beer cocktail.”
Dave Faries can be reached at 900-2016
