The craft non-alcoholic beer market was long overdue for a makeover by the time Partake Brewing arrived on the scene in 2017.
The Toronto and Calgary-based brewery soared past its Kickstarter fundraising goal of $10,000 just three hours after launching its page to raise funds for its first product, the craft non-alcoholic IPA back in March 2017.
This post is sponsored by Partake Brewing.
Partake now boasts a variety of craft non-alcoholic options for craft beer lovers – Blonde, Pale, IPA, Stout, and Red. I recently stumbled across the brand on grocery store shelves (it’s widely available at most grocers including Loblaws, Metro, Sobey’s, Whole Foods, and more) and treated myself to a pack of their Pale.
While I don’t claim to be a craft beer geek, I was genuinely impressed with how the Pale tasted just like a top-notch alcoholic version but with only 0.3% ABV and I love that you can Partake anywhere, at any time!
The Pale has 0 carbs and only 10 calories per can. On the palate, the Pale has medium bitterness with caramel malt sweetness perfumed with tropical aromatics.
I wanted to accentuate with those flavours with an easy-drinking shandy. Freshly squeezed grapefruit juice is a natural companion for pale ale and a black pepper syrup adds a welcome bite.
A couple dashes of Angostura amplifies the medium bitterness of the Pale. A pinch of salt (just a pinch as it will make your near beer foam up and you don’t want it to overflow) rounds out the mocktail for a perfect balance – bitter, sweet, acid, salt.
You can enjoy this recipe year-round but if you’re looking for seasonal swaps for this recipe, here are some ideas:
- For spring or summer, try replacing the black pepper syrup with a honey-ginger syrup and swap the Angostura for lavender bitters.
- For fall, use a cinnamon syrup and cardamom bitters for a warming, baking spice finish – leave out the salt.
If you’re looking for a great craft non-alcoholic beer, look out for Partake on your next trip to the grocery store or order online through their website.
Salt & Pepper Shandy
- 2 oz grapefruit juice
- ¾ oz black pepper syrup
- 3 dashes Angostura bitters
- 1 can Partake Brewing Pale
- pinch flaky sea salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns, whole
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Add grapefruit juice, black pepper syrup, and bitters to a Collins glass. Stir to combine. Top with Partake Brewing Pale. Add a pinch of salt. Enjoy!
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Combine sugar, water, and whole black peppercorns in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
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Strain into a glass jar, removing peppercorns. Seal and store in the fridge for up to two weeks.
