Here we have a San Francisco beer dating back to those heady prohibition years of the late 1990s. Wait, what?
Speakeasy Ales and Lagers opened in San Fran back in ’97, and the company’s name established the gangster riff that all of their marketing plays on. Offerings like “Streetsweeper” and “Old Godfather” certainly deliver, for example, and their flagship, Prohibition Ale, is something of a local favorite available on tap throughout the city.
But what brings us knocking and whispering the secret password today is Big Daddy, the company’s tasty IPA. Big Daddy is a well-carbonated, orange brown beer with a medium head and a wonderful citrusy smell. “Well balanced” is an overused expression in reviews, but it applies perfectly here: This little IPA manages to hit all of one’s flavor receptors on its short journey from beer glass to beer belly.
Aftertaste is either a benefit or liability of Big Daddy, depending on one’s preference. The hoppy bitterness common to IPAs lasts a bit long for my taste, but your mileage may vary.
Overall, Speakeasy has a solid, year round daily drinker on its hands here. For a reasonable price you can have one in your hands, too, and you don’t even need to know the secret password.
Brewery: Speakeasy Ales and Lagers
City: San Francisco, CA.
Style: IPA ?
ABV: 6.5%
Availability: Year Round