Great White

Lost Coast Brewery
Eureka, CA

Available: TN, OR, WA, AZ, CA, NC, NY, FL, IO, OH, HI, OK, WI, PA, NV, VA, KS, NM, IL, IN, Canada

The Lost Coast Brewery and Café began when Barbara Groom, a pharmacist, and Wendy Pound, a family counselor, wondered what it would required to start their own brewpub. After years of experimental home brewing, planning and studying, which included visiting scores of pubs in England and Wales, Lost Coast opened in 1990.

ABV: 5.1
ABW: 4.0
Color: 4
Bitterness: 10
Original gravity: 1047

Whenever I drink a low alcohol, flavorful beer like this roughly Belgian-style wheat beer, I keep asking myself “why do people sacrifice flavor for drinkability by consuming bland, ubiquitous lagers?” This beer shows bright citrus notes (lemon, tangerine), along with some funky herbs and a gently sweet, creamy texture. Not a benchmark for the style (a bit murky in character), but certainly more exciting than what most Americans drink at this alcohol level.
- John Hansell

Light” and “delicate” are two of the descriptors that appear on the label of this Belgian-style wheat beer, and despite the risk of turning macho hop-headed types against it, I’d have to concur. The nose of this pale golden ale is decidedly coriander-ish, but in a floral rather than soapy way, and also laced with sweet citrus notes. On the palate, it is similarly soft and on the sweet side, with what my English colleagues would call lemon drop notes, a hint or two of faintly peppery pear and a drier, lightly herbaceous finish. Perfect for a lazy, sun-drenched late morning or early afternoon.
- Stephen Beaumont

John Hansell
John Hansell writes about beer, wine and spirits. He is the creator, publisher and editor of Malt Advocate, a magazine for the whisky enthusiast.

Stephen Beaumont
Once described as “beerdom's Brillat-Savarin,” Stephen Beaumont is the author of five books and countless articles on beer, spirits, food, travel, and how it all goes together.

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