This week I decided to dive into Sea Change Brewing’s Straight Edge Pale Ale, and boy, am I glad did. With the Edmonton Oilers limping through the Stanley Cup playoffs, what better way to celebrate than with a near beer from an Edmonton-based brewery?
Plus Sea Change Brewing recently dropped their Joey Moss Man Crush Mandarin Ale, a limited edition tribute beer.
Surprisingly the brewery was founded in 2017 in Edmonton, and brewed on Happy Beer Street, Edmonton’s unofficial beer hub. The name? Well it’s a nod to founder Ian McIntosh’s time spent around Vancouver Island with his father who has a strong work ethic and connection to the ocean. (I couldn’t find much about the origin story save for this student article.)
Today the brewery is described as, “an artist owned and operated Craft Brewery driven by musicians, creatives and seasoned craft brewers. We are focused on diverse, unpretentious beers crafted with care and inspired by community.”
Straight Edge is the only non-alcoholic beer or near bear (as they use in their marketing) on tap.
My Review – Straight Edge Pale Ale by Sea Change Brewing (473 ml, 80 calories, 05.% ABV)
Name Bling (name creativity) – I like the name Sea Change Brewing not only for its connection to the ocean but it’s nod to Shakespeare. The “sea of change” turn of phrase is used in The Tempest basically means transformation. (Ask me how many Shakespeare courses I took in university? Many.) Straight Edge is a cool name almost as cool as some others in their real beer line up like Gremlin, Death Wave or The Wolf. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sip n’ Savour (Taste) – This Straight Edge Pale is described as bright, clean citrus notes with soft peach, passionfruit and ripe orange flavours. Try as I might, I don’t taste any peach or passionfruit. Pale ales tend to have varying degrees of aftertaste depending on ingredients, brewing processes and other factors. Some have nice clean finishes with little lingering flavours. In this case, there was a lingering aftertaste that didn’t sit well with me. ⭐⭐⭐
Wallet Wellness Index (Value for Money) – A four-pack on rang in at $12.99 at the Co-op Liquor store. That is likely the going rate for a four-back. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Label Love (Packaging/ Presentation) – The sleek grey can with a blackish-red knife (switch blade?) stood out in the non-alcoholic beer section. Sea Change scores with their witty taglines, Crush Near-Beers Not Dreams, and Near-Beer from Right Here. We all need a little more humour in our days. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Overall – I wanted to love this beer but its intense hoppy aftertaste was too overwhelming for me. It lingered to the point where I had to drink water and brush my teeth. I don’t hate it but it was a little too much for me. Maybe I am not used to drinking pale ales? I have three cans in the fridge so hopefully my mind will change. ⭐⭐⭐
Where to buy: Sea Change offerings are available for purchase online as well as select realtors in Canada. I bought mine at Co-op Liquor Store.