Lakefront Brewery Fixed Gear

Beer:  Fixed Gear (FG)

Brewery:  Lakefront

Date:  November 16th, 2013

Style: Red Ale

ABV: 6.5%

Similar To:  A better version of Smithwick's, Amber Ale.

Description:
I remember my first experiences with red ales in my late teens and early 20's when Killian's took the US college bar scene by storm, or at least my small corner of it.  The rich amber color and distinctive barley taste were a welcome change in a time where imports generally consisted of Beck's, Heineken, and if you were really lucky, Grolsch (whose most noteworthy quality was its ability to taste skunked right out of the bottle).  As with many beers whose main selling point is their slight differences from most of what else is currently on offer, Killian's popularity waned for me with the introduction of the first big wave of "microbrews", such as Samuel Adams Boston Lager and Red Hook ESB, into the Midwest.  Over the years I tried a few more red ales (or Irish reds), like Caffrey's, Kilkenny, Leinenkugel's, Smithwick's, and Goose Island's malty Kilgubbin, but never really took to the style.

Fast forward to 11/16/13 and I happened to stumble upon Lakefront's Fixed Gear in the oddest of places - the glass in my hand.  Mrs. Beer and I were visiting a coworker and her family out in the Chicago 'burbs and they had a fridge full of this and hard cider.  In the spirit of open-mindedness (and because my earliest experience with cider dates from my 16th birthday and involved 3 liter bottles of the stuff, a rave in a metal barn, and waking up in a bathtub in the middle of a cow field), I opted for the Fixed Gear and was quite pleasantly surprised. 

Taste:
Perhaps it was because I hadn't had a red for so long or maybe it was because most of what I've been drinking recently is on the other side of 10%, but I found FG to be smooth, slightly sweet, and eminently drinkable.  Scrutinizing the bottle more closely, I discovered that what I had thought was a "Trader Joe's" style generic lager, was actually produced by Lakefront Brewery, a place Mrs. B and I had tried to visit on a few of occasions, all in vain, when passing through Milwaukee on other business.  Based on the evidence from the two bottles I enjoyed that afternoon, we may have to dedicate a trip to the land of cheese and quarterbacks to try more of their offerings sooner rather than later.

Rating: 3 Stars (out of 5)