Maui Brewing Company
February 2010
I was introduced to this beer on Saturday while over at some friends’ house. They had recently returned from a trip to Hawaii and, having enjoyed this beer while on the islands, brought some back for Kabluey and me to try because they thought it suited our IPA-prone taste buds.
At least that’s what they tried to tell us at first. Further discussions revealed that Big Swell is a “living beer”, meaning it is not pasteurized and contains active yeast cultures, so it’s important to keep it refrigerated at all times. I didn’t ask specifically, but I am guessing there were no refrigerators in their luggage, taxi cabs, airport shuttles, etc. so constant refrigerator was an impossibility. The only logical conclusion, then, is that they were trying to kill us. Or at the very least, they wanted to know how sick the beer made us before popping a can of their own.
Since I am alive and typing right now, it is obvious that the experiment had a happy ending (for me anyway. I can’t know for sure what outcome they intended). And equally as exciting as being alive with a fully functioning and happy intestinal system, the beer was really good! It was hoppy and refreshing and made me wish I was on a beach relaxing in the sun (of course, brushing my teeth or riding the bus has been known to stir similar desires, so that may not be saying much). I also like that this beer comes in a can. Good canned beer is hard to find, and Big Swell is definitely one of the best ones I have tried.