I jumped onto the Urban Artifact wagon a bit late. “Better late than never” is a cliche that I find myself faced with quite regularly. Needless to say, I became an instant fan of the brewery’s vast array of spectacular beers that often steer away from the typical IPA and other popular beer styles we’ve come to expect in the craft beer circle. My first dive into their collection was while watching a soccer match at a local restaurant that sells numerous beers, canned and bottled. I saw Urban Artifact’s Keypunch, a key lime Gose, and my mouth instantly started watering. I had two of those sweet, flavorful Goses. Later, I learned of their other varieties. One stopped me in my tracks when my brother-in-law introduced it to me. Urban Artifact Pickle is a dill pickle Gose. It intrigued me enough to return again and again for more salty and sour sips to refresh during the dog days of summer.  

A Brief Introduction

Urban Artifact planted its stakes in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has been producing a hearty selection of wild ales ever since. Their popularity rises with each passing year. They pointedly share their focus on wild beer and sours. Thus, one can easily see they’re striving to explore and innovate. Not that long ago, they dove into the brine and resurfaced with a Gose that serves what one normally receives alongside a nice juicy burger at any restaurant: the dill pickle.

On the label, this beer boasts the muscle of 1,000 pounds of cucumbers and two pounds of fresh dill weed. Along for the ride is a hearty helping of sea salt and coriander. These are impressive numbers for any type of beer. Granted, I did have my reservations about the main ingredient. At times, I balk at an infused beer that involves food items outside of the typical purview of beer ingredients. I’m looking at you, oysters and Old Bay seasoning! This time, I felt I needed to take the plunge. I love pickles, and I had to try it even though this style has been around for multiple years already.

Though strong in taste, Urban Artifact Pickle is not strong in alcohol content, boasting a 4.3% ABV. It pours a golden yellow, much like a Pilsner but cloudier. What head exists at the start dissipates rapidly. One can definitely smell the pickles, but there is something more here. For me, I catch a bit of lemon, and the coriander rises in prominence. The first sip is fizzy and might be a shock for unsuspecting sippers. I honestly thought the sourness would be too overpowering, but the beer is subtle despite its tartness and saltiness.

Is It Really Good?

Yes, it is indeed a tasty beer! If one expected to dive into a pool of sourness, even without the name, they would not be disappointed with what they get. It is sour. But, my goodness, it’s such a thirst-quencher in the sultry, suffocating humidity of midsummer!

As with all their beers, Urban Artifact distributes throughout Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. You may even be lucky to find it on a tap list, though that would probably be closer to the Cincinnati area.

Feature image is courtesy of Urban Artifact.

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