Beer of the Week: Lion Heart

Craft beer is special. At its core, it’s merely a beverage, but it also has the power to bring people together, whether for a single evening or, in some cases, an entire lifetime. On top of that, it can be used to honor someone, whether in a glass lifted during a toast or as something created with the specific intent of paying tribute to a distinguished individual. Over the past month or so, I have come across several beers crafted to memorialize the dearly departed. I even recently brewed such a beer myself for my grandmother. Beer serving as a vehicle for honoring people we’ve lost feels somehow natural and fitting, and is perhaps the most poignant, tangible example that this liquid medium is much more than some commodity, but rather something that transcends manufacturing, economics, business and consumption. It makes me proud to report on the tight-knit community of people who pour their hearts and souls into it, not just as a profession, but in the case of such memorial ales and lagers, as an act of remembrance. As such, it is my heartfelt pleasure to introduce you to this week’s featured beer, Lion Heart from University Heights brewpub, Kairoa Brewing. A golden-hued lager brewed in the helles style originating in Munich, Germany, this beer is light in body yet full-flavored, with a touch of earthy sweetness and lovely cereal notes on the finish. It’s a solid beer made even more significant by the fact it was named for one of Kairoa’s regulars who is sadly no longer with us. For more on that, I will defer to the man who devised this special tribute…

This beer is named after one of our regulars, Leo, who had the heart of a lion, but unexpectedly passed away recently. Lion Heart is a Munich-style Helles brewed with Weyermann Pilsner malt and hopped with Hallertau Mittelfrüh and Huell Melon. Slightly malt-forward with light honey notes accompanied by an underlining floral bitterness, it’s clean, crisp and dry; the perfect summer beer for those who wish to have more than one.”

Joe Peach, Head Brewer, Kairoa Brewing

Kairoa Brewing is located at 4601 Park Boulevard in University Heights