G1

The details: Transmitter Brewing G1 Golden Ale, 5.8% ABV, 33 IBU, served in a pint can

It should come as no surprise to anyone that's known me for a while that I really wanted to be a radio DJ for a long time. It started with a project I had to do for my freshman English class in high school. I don't remember the details of the project, but I do remember it was thirty minutes long, I picked out a few songs that I liked to play (one was "Enter Sandman" - still a classic), and I did some voice work including a short skit my friend Randy and I wrote on the fly. I really wish I knew what it was about...

Before that project, there'd been one other non-dashboard installed radio I'd ever experienced. I spent years in the Boy Scouts, and one of our retired Scoutmasters was an amateur radio operator. You may also know it as ham radio. When different operators would find each other over the airwaves, they'd strike up a conversation about anything under the sun, and then they'd exchange QSL cards. These cards had the operators call sign on it, as well as their location, wattage, and other things the operator would include.

QSL cards were first sent in the 1920's and 1930's. Almost 100 years later they've become the inspiration for some of my favorite beer labels in New York.

So you see it's very fitting that Long Island City's Transmitter Brewing would use a radio operator card as inspiration. Rising up just across Newtown Creek from Greenpoint's Transmitter Park, the brewery is making a slate of beers that leans Belgian but finds itself going in just about every direction that isn't IPA (how refreshing, ya know?).

Each type of beer made by Transmitter has on its label a large letter and number corresponding to its type and chronological release time. This week's beer, G1, is a Golden Ale that's been single hopped with Hallertau Blanc hops. It gets a G for the beer type, and since it was the first of that type, the 1. Below the large G1 is the details of the beer (ABV, Plato, IBU, etc.) and it's made to look like it's been hand typed on an old Smith Corona. It's quite brilliant, and I even love the fact that the label is made of textured paper so it feels like an old postcard.

The beer inside is bright and interesting. I didn't realize that it's actually one in a series of golden ales, so I wish I could compare and contrast them (ah, the things you learn in English class). The first thing I did was let the beer warm up a bit; there's a serving temperature right on the awesome label that says 42°. It's surprisingly full of flavor, there's some peppery bitterness from the hops, but it's balanced out buy some nice malts. It's leaving me a bit thirsty, though - you know, it's one of those beers that is good but never quite quenches a thirst, instead making you want to drink more to try and get there. I absolutely love the smell of this beer, though. This golden ale is what I think of when I try and imagine what an ale smells like. 

This month of great label design has been fun, and I hope you've enjoyed it. I'm always game for suggestions from you about themes, so if you've got an idea send it along!

The verdict: 4.25 out of 5 (on Untapp'd - follow me @slownumbers to see what I'm drinking!)