Jolly Pumpkin & Stillwater - Lo-Fi Mai Tai

This Mai-Tai-inspired sour saison collab from Jolly Pumpkin and Stillwater packs in a ton of on-point special additions—almond slices, raw and palm sugars, orange peel, orange blossom honey, pineapple juice and lime juice—to create a hugely endearing cocktail-slanted saison. Don’t expect full-on Mai Tai. This is boldly assertive citrusy tartness, first and foremost, as secondary notes of pineapple and almond conjure that Mai-Tai character.

Lo-Fi Mai Tai pours a rich, honeyed-orange color capped by off-white foam. The bright citrus acidity is present immediately, coming through with potent lemon and grapefruit. The funky house character of Jolly Pumpkin comes through with a hint of salinity, while notes of lime juice and sweet almond appear at the perimeter. This is vibrantly tart, packed with fresh citrus, while Mai-Tai undercurrents roll through calmly.

It would definitely pair well with a beach. The assertive core of tart citrus fruits—lemon, grapefruit, lime, orange—brings a bold front of tropical-leaning tartness. It’s accompanied by touches of vanilla-laden oak and almond, some sturdying structure courtesy of the beer’s ten-plus months spent aging inside oak barrels. There’s brilliant structure here, tons of citrus landing immediately, but also a whole lot more beyond that. Welcome funk and salinity are present right alongside the core lemon, and this entire beer has a fresh-squeezed vibe to it. There’s definitely a slant of Mai-Tai-ness, but this beer’s totally its own thing.

For maximum Mai-Tai-ness, it’s probably best to sample this one fresh. The impact of those special additions will tend to fall off over time. For food pairings, we’d look to its core notes of citrus and almond and oak. Grilled seafood with a tropical salsa feels properly beachy.