Once upon a time, the craziest thing you’d see on the microbrewing scene was a fruit beer—typically, back then, a fruited wheat beer. We’ve come a long way since then—we’re in the smoothie-sour era now—and wheat beers with fruit now elicit little more than a casual shrug. In other words, they’re underappreciated, and just because a style isn’t on the cutting edge doesn’t mean it isn’t challenging and worthwhile to brew (not to mention fun to drink).
One brewery that definitely gets it right is Swamp Head with their mango-guava American wheat, Tropical Vibes. A summer seasonal for the brewery, it won a gold medal at the 2022 Great American Beer Festival. Here, Swamp Head director of operations Nick Dunn shares some insights into how to make a great one for today’s drinkers.
Notes from the Pro
Dunn says the goal here is to brew a fruit beer—not just a delivery vehicle for monochromatic fruit flavor.