Hamburg Brewing Company - Two Two Mango

This lightly sour brew from Hamburg is brewed with real mango for a luscious and refreshing experience. In the glass, it presents a hazed, lightly golden straw color with a cap of bright white foam. The mango contribution is readily apparent in the aroma as soft and inviting tropical notes merge with edgier lemony herbal hop character and some obvious sour character. On the palate, the fruitiness is explosive, with some melon and those bold mango and lemony citrus notes really grasping our attention upfront. The lactic acidity here comes through more tart than full-blown sour, but it offers plenty of balance, in concert with a dash of hop bitterness, to balance the light, clean malt and mango sweetness. We found this a very well-balanced, delicious, and quenching brew that’s perfect for warmer weather. Serve on the colder side to amplify the tartness and on the warmer side to bring out more sweetness. For pairings, we’d steer toward dishes that play off of the beer’s fruity tartness and lightly bready malt character. Chinese orange chicken comes to mind, as does really any dish with a fruity glaze. Fish, shrimp, chicken, or carnitas tacos with mango salsa are a no-brainer, as well. Cheers!

Hamburg Brewing Company was founded by father and son duo, John Russo, Sr. and John Russo, Jr., whose family is known in western New York as the founders of Sorrento Cheese (now sold under the Galbani brand). John, Jr. got his start in the brewing world like so many others, as a long-time homebrewing hobbyist. After some encouragement from friends, he decided to team up with his father to start his own brewery. The two toured around western New York state looking for the best place to launch their business, eventually realizing that it made the most sense to build it right near their home in Hamburg, in Erie County just a few miles south of Buffalo. They built their 20-barrel brewery in a building that had been owned by their family for many years and was originally home to offices and a collection of automobiles.

The brewery opened to the public in 2013 and has become a prime destination for beer lovers in the Buffalo area. Their large Taproom is built like a mountain lodge, with vaulted ceilings and a large central fireplace along with a patio overlooking a large pond. Hamburg currently produces several year-round brews and a variety of seasonals, in addition to a large variety of limited edition beers and even hard cider. Their beers can be found at restaurants, bars, and for retail sale mostly in the western part of New York. For more info, call them up at 716-649-3249 or visit www.hamburgbrewing.com.