General Beer Hater Tries Free Samples Anyway: A Review
I don’t like beer. I don’t know anything about hoppiness, what an IPA is, or why craft beer is significantly superior to bud light when they both taste like bread. To sum it up, my knowledge of anything ‘brew’ related is, to say the least, wildly limited. However, I do like free alcohol, and like most 20-somethings, enjoy a steady buzz after work on a weekday, so when my boss at Gaslight threw some random cans of beer at me on my way out of our meeting, I figured I’d give one a try.
My drink of choice is a vodka diet with a slice of lime, and the only beers I truly enjoy are sour. My palette for alcohol is immature, and I often purchase the $12 handle of vodka and $5 wine special from Trader Joe's exclusively. Sometimes when I am drunk, I order a Bud Light at the bar because it tastes the most like water without actually being water. So take this review with a serious grain of salt, because I still drink like a college sophomore with a fake ID even though I got my degree last May.
I work a lot. Three days a week are typically 12 hour days or longer, so after a particularly grueling Wednesday, I popped open a can of Logboat Brewing Co. 'Bobber' (pictured left) before even taking off my coat or unlacing my Doc Martens. Usually, upon trying a new beer, my face contorts into a scrunched expression of distaste similar to that of a baby who has just tasted something sour for the first time. I expected a similar reaction tonight.
Admittedly, I was pleasantly surprised by how much I did not hate it. It tastes less like yeast and more like wheat toast, so it paired well with the late night eggs I was making myself for dinner. Bobber is a light ‘breakfast beer,’ a term I think I just made up, but means it’s less filling than the craft beers I’ve sampled in the past and could probably be enjoyed in the morning during those days you might want to start exceptionally early (tailgates, graduation parties, hungover Saturdays).
From an aesthetic standpoint, I appreciate how Logboat is switching it up with their labels. The paper around the can feels sturdier than the thin labeling I usually end up peeling off of cheaper bottled beverages, and I've never seen a can that's info wasn't just printed directly onto the aluminum. It seems to suggest that the drinkers of this beverage are the 'outdoorsy' type due to the mention of "bass fishin'" in the description. Since my online dating profiles all describe me as someone who loves the great outdoors AND I have been fishing once in the past five years, I figure I fit right in with the brand's target demographic.
For the sake of transparency, I did not finish the can. Finding a beer I enjoy is a rarity and finding a beer that I like and finish, even more so. I often see commercials where beers on the beach are garnished with a slice of lime, so I tried this myself to see if it made the flavor more delicious and enjoyable for me. It did not. Adding a lime to this one is not recommended on my end.
Coincidentally, I saw cans of Bobber being stuffed into the fridge of a bar I was at in the Grove this weekend. I still ordered rail vodka, but it was nice knowing that Bobber was there just incase I felt like drinking half a beer. Cheers!
Rebecca Davis is the current media intern for Gaslight. She graduated from Illinois State University in 2017 with a degree in journalism. Rebecca is loves dive bars, singing 'Linger' by The Cranberries at karaoke, and pineapple on her pizza. Her dislikes include the Trader Joe's parking lot, accidentally falling asleep with socks on, and summing up her personality in third person self-written author bios.