FEW beers can have encapsulated summer quite like North Yorkshire's newest creation.

You might think all you need for a hot July or August day is a crisp pale ale - but think again.

Brass Castle and North Riding Breweries have thrown convention out the open window, and come up with a new idea that sounds totally ridiculous, but which has become a massive instant hit.

Life's A Beach has been on selected bars for only a few weeks but a second batch has already had to be brewed, to meet demand.

It's hard to categorise a beer that is brewed with pineapple, mango and coconut, along with two malts and two types of hop. Is it a fruit beer? Is it a pale ale? Is it a wheat beer? Truth be told, it's a law unto itself but it's tremendous.

It's available on cask and keg, and has been available in pubs including The Falcon Tap, The Maltings, The Rook and Gaskill and Brigantes.

York Press:

I had it in The Falcon Tap, on keg, and loved it. The pineapple is the strongest of the flavours, in the taste and the aroma, but the coconut comes through strongly as well and the end result is a refreshing, tropical-tasting beer that is full on flavour, but low on alcohol, with an ABV of only 3.6 per cent.

Stu Neilson, from North Riding, says the idea came indirectly from his home-brewing barman, Ben, who had created a pineapple wheat beer. He mentioned it to Phil Saltonstall at Brass Castle, and they came up with a similar recipe.

He says: "We then discussed the recipe,and what ensued was Life's A Beach. I think one of the key things was using Phil’s 'house yeast' as I thought if we used a specific wheat beer yeast it would dominate the flavour and we wanted the beer to taste of pineapple and coconut, which i think we did a pretty damn good job of doing! I know Phil's already brewed the beer again its been that popular.

"To me its the perfect summer beer. We sold four kegs in six days, and the casks were going in a day."

Continuing the summer theme, Sonata, the strawberry beer recently brewed by Pivovar and Hop Studio, should be hitting the bars any day now. Read the full story here.

And if that's not enough..... try these:

York Press:

14 Yorkshire beers that are perfect for a hot summer's day

 

 

York Press:

BEER drinkers are well catered for at the Great Yorkshire Fringe, which opens this weekend.

The Thinking Drinkers' Guide to the Legends of Liquor takes place in Parliament Street on July 30 and 31.

Drinks journalists Ben McFarland and Tom Sandham, pictured, who co-wrote the Good Beer Guide West Coast USA will take the audience on "an intoxicating journey through the liquid lives of history's most extraordinary elbow-benders".

Audience members will each get to sample Guinness Dublin Porter and Guinness West Indies Porter; Belvedere Vodka; Buffalo Trace Bourbon; Jameson Irish Whiskey and Plymouth Gin.

The box office is on 01904 500600 or greatyorkshirefringe.com

 

York Press:

YORKSHIRE breweries are well represented at York's newest restaurant and hotel.

Hotel Indigo in Walmgate includes a Yorkshire Meatball Company restaurant.

While in for a coffee earlier this week, I was pleased to see local ales given at every turn. Bottles are used as table centrepieces and adorn the walls, and there are 21 Yorkshire beers to choose from.

Hotel prices mean you'd be unlikely to pop in just for a beer, but if you're in for food you'll enjoy the wide range.