ABV: 6.66%

While I was taking on Shredder as Donatello, and then later waiting in line for a chance at the original Pac-Man, I found myself accurately dubbed both gaming AND beer nerd in the dark, cavernous room on 24th street known as Barcade. Although positioned as a provider of hard-to-find arcade treasures, its extensive and ever changing craft beer list also brings in the highly obsessed brewery-type-folk looking to get their local fix.

Behind the bar, 90% of the establishment’s lighting shone upon a long, black chalkboard sporting the on-tap brews of the night. The other 10% illuminated from the depths of concave screens inside noisy machines lining the room, obstructed by the heads of intensely addicted players. With few expectations in mind, I admittedly chose Beat It, Nerd! as my premier drink of choice to accompany my persona at that moment. To my surprise, after receiving a snifter filled with cloudy, orange liquid, half of me found the concoction to be smooth and satisfying while the other half wanted to intentionally call ‘game over’. I pressed forward, knowing that you can never judge a beer by the first sip. But towards the end of the glass, I arrived back at my original presentiment of equal parts like, equal parts dislike.

To be clear, Evil Twin/Other Half’s Brett IPA is one you should certainly try for yourself. There is a yin-and-yang balance to its body, which quite often sparks dissimilar reactions amongst craft beer drinkers. The presence of hops convey lemony citric notes and semi-fruity flavors which can be smelled at first pour. Barely bitter, Beat It, Nerd! is resilient throughout the drinking experience with a mild aftertaste. This may have you wondering why my tastebuds are so torn in giving a definitive rating. It probably comes down to how many wins vs. losses I claimed, which affected my mood causing an overreaction to the bretty character of this brew. Scapegoat, anyone?

Cheers! Please share your comments and any similar experiences below.