A  fine young beer, friends! And a Trader Joe’s-available (in fact, it may be an exclusive… someone research that and get back to me*) beer at that, so we’re talking $5.99 a six pack. Most affordable! But let’s not muddle around over who paid what for who when and why and where and let’s focus on this very decent brew. Mission Street’s Pale Ale defines its category: it has a nice golden-amber color beneath a white, medium-thickness head. The body is light and full of active carbonation. The aroma of hops defines its scent—pine and mildly grapefruit hops, to be precise—and its flavor is a lovely interplay of hops bracing a mildly sweet bready malt. It finishes hop-dry and refreshing.

Now I drank this beer in “Winter” if I may call it such here in southern, CA, and that may have been a disservice to the brew. This baby has refreshment written all over it. Or maybe it says “Mission Street” and “Pale Ale” but whatever—this would be a perfect “lawnmower beer” as I call them.** The ABV is relatively low at 4.6% and doesn’t much affect the flavor of the brew. But hey, you can have an extra one and still operate heavy (or lawn-care) machinery. Not that we at Hall of Beers condone that. Unless it’s a golf cart or jet ski or something awesome like that.

* Yeah, it’s exclusive. Those lucky skunks

** You know, “I just finished mowing the lawn and it’s hot and muggy and boy do I need a good BEER BEER BEER!”