Green Zebra By Founders Brewing

The weather is breaking and I can see warmer days in the near future; so my brain is starting to think about beer that pairs well with some sun and heat. Founders Brewing Green Zebra is one of those beers..

Founders Brewing has remained a brewery that I truly enjoy despite losing their “craft beer” label in 2014 when they took on an investor.

While I do my best to drink beer from Independent Breweries, l still enjoy their beer on a regular basis.

So when they release Green Zebra in the Spring of 2017, I was quick to give it a shot. Their attention to detail, quality and consistency make them a brewery that I’ve grown to trust so I rarely hesitate to try their new releases.

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Review Of Founders Brewing Green Zebra

While some people believe in drinking certain styles during specific seasons, I tend to drink beer based on my mood more than the weather. But it’s undeniable that there are styles that pair better with a warm day than others.

Gose is a style that I think does really well in the sun. You’ll get a light, crisp beer with just enough tart to keep it interesting.

In addition to that, many breweries add in some fruit flavor. This makes it a touch sweet and really accentuates the seasonal connection.

And Green Zebra is a perfect example of that as it has watermelon added which may be my favorite summer fruit.

Green Zebra has an ABV of 4.6% and IBUs of 10. You can find this annual release starting in May in 6 packs of 12oz cans.

Here is how Founders Brewing describes their Green Zebra:

Subtly sour and a little sweet, this ale is a refreshing take on a nearly extinct German style, gose. Watermelon is the highlight of this lightly-hopped treat and gives it a hint of satisfying juiciness. The soft mouthfeel and dry finish comes courtesy of the addition of sea salt, a traditional gose ingredient.

Initial Thoughts

While I do enjoy Founders Brewing, I almost skipped trying this one. Gose is a great style but there are a lot of them out there these days and many are good.

I was also a little worried that watermelon was too light of a flavor to really show up in an impactful way. And I found the can artwork to be a little odd and didn’t attract me at all.

But I gave it a shot after many were telling me that I’d enjoy it.

Once opened and poured, the aroma is very subtle. There’s a touch of sweet and tart aroma but you almost need to look for it.

Green Zebra pours a nice yellow-golden color with a bright white head. You would not be able to tell this beer has fruit added based on the color.

Tasting Notes

The gose style is known for being tart with a nice touch of salt. While many may think this sounds odd, it’s actually really refreshing.

And this saltiness is perfect with watermelon. In fact, I’ve been known to put salt on my watermelon but I’ve been told that’s weird.

The watermelon flavor is definitely there and adds a nice sweetness to the beer. In fact, some may say the sweetness overpowers the tart. This is because it is a candy-like watermelon flavor.

It finishes very clean and dry which makes you want to dive back in for another drink.

Final Thoughts

It seems like both Gose and Berliner Weisse styles were gaining a lot of popularity over the past few years. But I’m starting to see more Berliners than Gose.

The big difference is the salt in the Gose which isn’t a flavor that you’d normally expect in a beer. But I’m a big fan of this style, especially with the addition of fruit.

Green Zebra is a funky name and has a funky looking can too. But the beer is solid. It’s a touch sweet to have more than a few but on a hot day it will hit the spot.

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Conclusion

I’ve never been a huge fan of the sun and heat of summer but it’s always better when you’ve got the right beer. Green Zebra might be just that beer for you.

If you enjoy watermelon then give this one a shot when you are planning on sitting pool side, grilling out or just lounging on the back deck.

Have You Tried Founders Brewing Green Zebra?