• Karl Kalinkewicz
• On February 2, 2022
• http://vinylandbeers.com
• Instagram

Beer trends are a flat circle, or something like that. After years of being inundated with the thickest, juiciest, chewiest IPAs, it seems the pendulum might be swinging back towards the newest trends of the 1850s. Pilsners, hoppy Lagers, and other “cleaner” beers, like baggy pants and oversized sweater vests, are suddenly fashionable again, but what happens when you combine styles old and new? Highland Park Brewery Timbo Pils is here to show you the best of both worlds.

A West Coast Pilsner hopped with German hops in the kettle, but then dry-hopped with hazeboi staples Mosaic and Citra, at 5.8% ABV this beer is a paragon of drinkability. While a lot of Pilsners strike first with bready, earthy, or bitter notes, this transports you away like George Michael singing the chorus of “Club Tropicana.” Fruity and floral notes fill the room Glade Plug-In style from the time you crack open the can. The only haze here is your vision after you crush 8 of these in a sitting, with a perfectly golden translucent pour topped by the right amount of an eggshell head.

Those tropical flavors turn your tongue into a dance floor with the first sip. The Mosaic and Citra make for a beer that’s a bit sweeter than a standard Pils, but the crisp backbone and light bitterness cut through it. This very much straddles the lines between styles, but a way that maximizes the best characteristics of each. Exceedingly refreshing, you’ll want to crack open another can as soon as you’ve finished this one. There’s a dry finish, like a Carr’s cracker serving as the base for a charcuterie work of art, keeping things structured and rounding out the flavors. Timbo will pair well with just about anything; a sunny porch, some spicy tacos, a lawnmower ride, you name it.

Highland Park Brewery provides the greater Los Angeles area with a full-lineup of fantastic beers, doing well with a variety of styles. Timbo Pils is one of many beers available regularly at the two taprooms, at local craft bottle shops, and via local delivery. Perfect for all that California sunshine, thing you’ll be mad about is that you didn’t pick up more.