I went through my teens in love with The Pastels and their idiosyncratic take on Post Punk Pop, even blagging my way into a Pastels gig in Birmingham by pretending to be a mutual friend of mine and the band’s to be greeted by Aggi telling Stephen Pastel that I looked more like Stephen than Stephen did.
These days I’m rather in love with Mikkeller and his idiosyncratic take on brewing and beer styles, and so it was with great pleasure that I heard that the two had collaborated on a Pilsner.
And Pastelism is lovely, though I’m not sure it’s a true Pilsner (has it been lagered?)
Pouring a bright smiling gold with a lovely lemon and strawberry aroma, the beer certainly looks good in my glass.
Taking a swig you find a rather subtle caramel and brioche malting, a little pop corn and some runny honey before a great big herbal and citrus hoppy slap comes bursting out at you.
It’s summery and shiny and playful and tastes of sherbet lemons, basil, mown lawns and chamomile tea as it takes your hand and leads you to a deliciously long bitter and very dry finish.
Oh, and it’s made me dig out all my Pastels records.

Source: Chez Sophie (with thanks to @PaoloFernley for grabbing me a bottle)