Sufferfest Beer Co. makes beer brewed by athletes, for athletes (or anyone looking for low-cal beer that doesn’t suck).
Sufferfest is a unique brewery. It began back in 2012 with a simple premise – to make beer that complemented an athletic lifestyle and diet. And they did that without compromising on quality. The result leaves us with great tasting session style beers that won’t fill you up to fast. According to their website, you can find Sufferfest in more than just tap houses and bottle shops, too. That includes “run and bike shops, climbing gyms and CrossFit boxes throughout California, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest.”
Which is great if you’re an athlete, but I also found they make the perfect casual Sunday beer. A nice choice for when you aren’t ready for the weekend to end, but don’t want to have a miserable Monday either. Side note, Sufferfest is also a great term for Mondays.
Anyway, I picked up a nice Sufferfest variety six pack, got a good buzz, and wrote shitty poems inspired by the beer.
Head Start – 4.5% – Stout
“Ready, set, stout! To the victor go the spoils, so give yourself a Head Start. This purpose-brewed champ includes coconut water and sustainably sourced coffee beans from fellow B. Corp Equator Coffees, to add layers of flavor, aroma, and all-around good vibes.”
Head Start has a body that’s much thinner than your average stout, which is a refreshing change of pace. It’s predominantly all dark roasted malts and bold flavorful coffee notes. I don’t think the coconut water stands out too much itself, but you can definitely tell it’s what helps add to the overall lighter body of this beer. It honestly tastes like you are drinking a cold brew coffee, albeit a carbonated one.
‘I fall in love
too easily,
with moments such as these.
Sunday mornings
sunned and calming
open, filled with coffee
black to contrast
cool milk white walls
thoughts the same, black and white
Like the morning
paper, floating
away airily, burning wisps
Faint illumines
going slowly
drifting toward some notion.’
Repeat – 3.5% – Kolsch
“It’s all about balance. Weighing in at 95 cals & 5 carbs per can, the Repeat Kolsch drinks like a champ. We’ve added bee pollen so you can enjoy floral and honey aromas while you keep it light.”
A light, crisp, and honey-like sweet Kolsch. It has both a straw/grassy hop notes with sweet bread malts, hints of lemon, and a nice honey finish. For a low-cal beer, clocking in at 95 calories, it’s full of flavor. Which is more than you can say for things like Michelob’s or other low-cal adjuncts.
‘Golden golden
Memories, real
or not, always golden
Gold as Illinois
Indian grass in
fall. Memories Captured
perfect like wine
stained blood sunsets
Memories made golden
Were they real or
Not at all?’
FKT – 5.5% – APA
“Our FKT (Fastest Known Time) gives you the flavor and richness you deserve, with an edge. Brewed with salt and black currant, these outstanding ingredients kick up the flavor.”
FKT also packs in so much flavor. It has the APA qualities of delicious sweet, caramel pale malts, with mild floral hops. But the fruit notes really shine here, with hints of plum, berry, and black currant, that flows into a slightly tart and salty finish.
‘Her name was midnight
She was wild, in a
quiet way, a whisper
In the night that left
You afraid
Her name was midnight
Wine stained lips, red as
a rose, teeth like a knife.’