If it were up to me, I’d have called it Shakes-beer. But was up to the mindful brewers at Schlafly, who dubbed their Shakespeare Festival St. Louis beer 1616 in honor of the 400th anniversary of The Bard’s death.
You won’t find this Schlafly creation in stores or at bars. Instead, its available on draft at select Shakespeare Festival events like Shakespeare in the Park, which debuts A Midsummer Night’s Dream tonight, June 3, at Shakespeare Glen in Forest Park.
Schlafly set out to create an easy-drinking, 5.5-percent ABV beer perfect for picnicking prior to the show. The crisp, unfiltered lager is brewed with bright Mandarina Bavaria hops. 1616 starts fresh and hoppy, but finishes smooth and malty with just the right amount of citrus complexity. It clocks in at a food-friendly 25 IBU, equally suited to be sipped with fried chicken or a light salad.
This article appears in Readers’ Choice 2016.