Maisel & Friends Pale Ale

This one drinks like a pale ale that went to finishing school. The malt backbone is buttery and clean, almost Vienna lager-adjacent in its smoothness, but those hops—they're there, just not shouting. You get a whisper of citrus and herbal tea on the finish, nothing aggressive. It's the kind of beer you can drink three of without getting fatigued, which is exactly the point. Brauerei Gebr. Maisel knows what they're doing with restraint.

Sudden Death Green Screen

Sudden Death doesn't do subtle. The nose hits you with fresh-cut grass and a green, vegetal bite that some people call grassy in a good way and others call grassy and move on. The body is leaner than the Maisel, a touch more snappy, and those hops linger on your palate like they're not quite done making their case. It's the kind of beer you respect more after the second sip than the first, when your palate catches up to what they're doing.