We don't claim to be beer aficionados by any means, and we won’t pretend our beer experiences didn’t begin with 40s of Hurricanes at high school basement parties. But when we realized there’s more out there than just Natty, we decided to take a stab at the sexist stereotype that beer is a boy’s drink. We made our way over to William Street Common to try out their new, shockingly affordable drink menu (all beers and cocktails are $3). Here’s what we tried, as per the bartender’s recommendations, and our inexperienced reactions.
Autocrat Coffee Milk Stout– 5.3%
Narragansett
Tastes like boozy, foamy espresso. Coffee flavor is strong and bitter on the first sip, but then the flavor gets more subtle. It won’t wake you up like a vodka–Red Bull, but still reminds us of the caffeine we’re so severely addicted to.
Witsun Ale– 6.2%
Arcadia
Though not a cider, the Witsun Ale tastes alarmingly similar to apple juice. We mean that in the best way. It’s light and refreshing, not too sweet but perfectly tangy.
Baby Got Hops IPA– 7.1%
Manayunk Brewing Company
Truly a no fluff beer. If you want a good beer with no frills that isn’t messing around, get this. As the name would suggest, this beer is full, round and hoppy.
Pumpkin Ale- 4.8%
Susquehanna
Less pumpkin, more butterscotch. It was sweet in the aftertaste, and honestly belongs in The Three Broomsticks (if you don’t get that reference, bye). If you want to try a dessert–y beer to share with some friends, this might be the one.
Holiday Cheer– 5.4%
Shiner Bock
The bartender described it as “pecans and peaches, like, you know, Christmas in Texas.” We nodded and pretended like we knew exactly what she meant, even though we had no idea. The second we tried it though, it all made sense. Not light in color, but light in taste, the beer was cheery and brightened up our night. Though our novice palates might not have picked out those pecan and peach notes on our own, we definitely found them and couldn’t have phrased it better.
House Sangria- apple cider + rye whiskey + port wine
Bonus: the bartender told us we had to try the sangria, and since all the cocktails are also $3, we had no reason to say no (not that we really would’ve anyways). The boozy apple cider brought us back to drinking away our sorrows this time last semester, when the pre–Thanksgiving break blues were getting us down. We really wanted to drink it next to a fire while wrapped in a blanket. But the cozy, wooden interior of William Street Common was a fine alternative.
