Imbibe is a new semi-regular column that highlights wine, beer, hooch, booze, firewater, or any other kind of potent potables available around town that we think you should drink.

There is no middle ground with Brew Dog. Their beers are loud, intractable, and obnoxiously hopped. Their bottles are printed with miniature manifestos railing against industrial lager. Ever since hitting the beer scene, the Scottish microbrewery's existence has been fraught with confrontation. They got into a pissing contest with a German brewery to see who could make the world's strongest beer. They eventually won, but before long, the establishment tried to ban the beer for fear of exacerbating an already reputed national drinking problem. Brew Dog's response was priceless: "They should perhaps concentrate their efforts on targeting the brands selling 24 cans of lager for £7 - where literal excess is contributing to Scotland's problem with alcohol." After that, they brewed the beer equivalent of two fingers up, a low-alcohol beer named Nanny State.

Last year, they went on to outdo themselves once more and, in the process, pissed off animal rights activists, brewing a potent 55 percent ABV beer packaged in road kill. They named it, wait for it... The End of History, after the famous Francis Fukuyma book. Yeah. They're literate, too, apparently.

But, all the punk rock posturing and potent brews aside, does Brew Dog make a tasty beer? I say "Hell yes!" Here are five in their line that have arrived in Shanghai recently.

Lager 77

Unfortunately for the Czech city of Plzen, their namesake brew, or a more diluted form of it, has become the archetype for most mass-produced beer around the world. Lager 77 is an attempt to subvert this dominant paradigm. If you ask me, these guys are really pushing the envelope with their definition of “pilsner” on this one. Pilsners are generally light, crisp, and crystal clear – the kind of beer you could drink several of in the hot sun. This beer is anything but that. Forgoing fining and filtering, they’ve created a brew in hues of golden honey. It’s surprisingly rich and full-bodied with lots of sweet malty character and intensely spicy hop notes. The suds in this one are a fluffy mouthful, a far cry from the Champagne-like effervescence of a traditional pilsner. In spite of all that, it finishes off pretty clean.

Trashy Blonde

Brew Dog calls it “a titillating, neurotic, peroxide punk of a pale ale… [with] a little bit of low self-esteem for good measure.” Well, if this is, in fact, a peroxide blonde, let’s just say her roots have long since grown out; I’d say she’s more of a shade of burnt orange. No complaints, though. She wears a perfume of passion fruit, followed by apricot and mango and way in the background, even a little hint of rye bread, and, of all things, fine cigar smoke. She’s definitely hopped up on something and a lot of it because she’s bitter, assertive, and slightly off kilter.

5 AM Saint

Probably the most unique of all of Brew Dog’s offerings in Shanghai, this is a shout out across the pond, an American-style amber ale. It’s cloudily opaque and runs a familiar shade of rust belt red. Appealing aromas of toasted toffee and roasted nuts waft alternately with stringent notes of grapefruit zest and even a little bit of pine needles and freshly cut grass. On the palate it’s pleasantly bittersweet with an endless fermata for a finish.

Punk IPA

Traditionally, India pale ales were heavily hopped because the hops acted as a preservative on the long ship ride to India. The beer became a hit among colonials in the subcontinent because it turned out to be such a great match for curry. Never mind the irony that an iconoclastic, anti-establishment brewery would even consider making a beer whose history is so intimately linked to British imperialism; this is a tasty beverage. Bronze in color and intensely aromatic with orange, lemon, pineapple, and maybe even a little bit of hydroponic hemp. You know, like the good stuff from British Columbia. Those fragrances translate pretty faithfully to the tongue and it has a relatively clean, refreshing finish.

Hardcore IPA

Times that beer by two and you’ve got this “explicit” double, A.K.A. imperial, India pale ale. In the glass it’s a deep shade of sunset copper. Aromas of caramel and malt syrup abound and are rounded out with the fragrance of rosemary and pine resin. It fills the mouth with a pleasant fizz and a treacly sweetness that would induce an insulin seizure were it not for such a hefty dose of hops. Word to the wise: Mind your Ps & Qs with this brew. It’s so hoppy, that you won’t notice the 9.2% ABV until you get to the bottom of the glass and then stand up too quickly.

Where to find them...

Kaiba has just picked up 5 AM Saint on draft. In a few days they'll have the rest of these available in a bottle. Prices are to be determined, but you can bet that they won't be cheap. If you're looking to save a little cash, Cheers In beer store is your best bet. Prices are reasonable, by Shanghai standards, at least, and they deliver.


... And if you've managed to navigate through all the beef stuff above, here are some bits of beer news around town.

First off, speaking of Kaiba, a new branch is soon to open. This time, the Belgian beer bar takes up residence in Taikang Terrace, that new extension of Tianzifang. Expect an opening in early September.

Then, clear at the other end of town, The BREW is hosting "The Craft Brew Experience." Brew Master Leon Mickelson is teaming up with Chef Tobias Unger of The MEET to create a very cool multi-course dinner paired with their very own craft beers. At 1088rmb + 15 percent service charge it's admittedly not cheap. But if you and about ten or twelve foodie friends have some coin to blow, it's well worth it. More info on that here

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