Brewgooder Lager: Beer with a Cause

I first tasted Brewgooder on World Water Day (March 22nd). I was sent some pretty orange cans to review, and also sampled this socially-minded craft tipple on draft.

Pint of Brewgooder? Dont mind if I do

The cause

Brewgooder donates all its profits to water charities around the world. The year-old brand is a joint project between the gents behind Social Bite, Josh Littlejohn and Alan Mahon, and craft brew giant Brewdog. To date they’ve supplied water pumps to 5000 people in Malawi, a great step towards their goal of bringing clean water to 1,000,000 people.

The lager

Clean Water Lager (4.5%) has a golden hue and more sweet, malty tones than commercial lagers. This gives Brewgooder more backbone but I felt it lacked a crispness for it, with a smooth finish but a slightly sulphurous, vegetal aroma. Overall, an inoffensive beer, which I think is what you’re after with a lager, but not a standout.

Brewgooder Clean Water Lager

How does it compare?

So how does Brewgooder stand up to other craft lagers? I had a taste of Caesar Augustus, and Brooklyn Lager, both available in can, to find out. (It’s a hard gig.) If you want to do your own comparison, I’d also recommend a lookout of Camden Hells lager and Edinburgh Beer Factory’s Paolozzi (bottle only) as alternatives to Peroni and Heineken et al.

Caesar Augustus

Caesar Augustus (4.1%) is a go-to craft classic for me. This lager/IPA hybrid by Alloa’s Williams Bros is a well-executed and reliable beer. A pale straw colour, with a fresh aroma of citrus and pine, it has a light, punchy taste. Despite a mildly bitter finish, this is an easy drinking stalwart; one to keep in the fridge for long days or unexpected sunshine.

Caesar Augustus lager/IPA hybrid

Brooklyn Lager

This American amber lager (5.1%) is a surprisingly dark copper-coloured beer with a fluffy white head. It has a strong caramel flavour, with stone fruits on the nose, a smooth delivery and a strong bitter finish. With a more complex malt bill, Brooklyn wasn’t as easy drinking as it’s predecessors. But it would pair well with food, especially burgers, strong cheese and spicy Mexican dishes.

Brooklyn Amber Lager

As a final thought, I’m not sure if it’s an irony or a pertinent reminder, but brewing beer requires a heck of a lot of clean water. Driven by marketing rather than the product, Brewgooder isn’t going to make waves in the craft beer world. But it will sell for its cause, and that’s a good thing.