Rainier Pale Mountain Ale
Rainier Beer, Not Washington (boo)
Style: Pale ale
Stats: 5.3 percent ABV
Available: In six packs of 16-ounce “pounder” bottles throughout Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Northern California.
My thoughts: Macro beer brands have been watching their sales slip for years now, their hegemony crumbling under the weight of the craft beer boom. Some have decided to mock craft beer while simultaneously gobbling up craft beer brands. (Hi, Budweiser.)
Rainier, the iconic Seattle macro beer brand, has gone a different direction. Dusting off a nearly century old recipe, Rainier has jumped into the craft beer boom with both feet, releasing Rainier Pale Mountain Ale this week.
The beer was inspired by one of Rainier’s own post-Prohibition pale ales from the 1930s. It’s a malty pale ale that has a number of the same flavor characteristics as Rainier’s flagship lager: a light hoppiness and clean finish.
It’s a solid beer, but not great. It’ll be very interesting to see what kind of market it can carve out. It seems to be a tweener: a macro label masquerading as a craft beer. Who will buy it?
Another interesting aspect of the new beer is the fact it’s brewed at Woodinville’s Redhook Brewery, marking the first time a Rainier beer has been brewed in Washington state in 13 years.
Rainier’s history and brand is owned by Pabst Brewing, and CEO Eugene Kashper has been looking to take advantage of the beer recipes the company owns. The beginning of that is Rainier Pale Mountain Ale.
From the brewery: Rainier Pale Mountain Ale was inspired by one of Rainier’s own post-Prohibition pale ales from the 1930s. The new beer is made using two-row barley and Yakima Valley hops, giving it a solid malt backbone and a clean, citrus finish.
— Aaron Swaney, Special to The Herald
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
