Towards the end of 2020, someone suggested that I do a beer of the month post, picking a beer that stood out for me each month. And as I am just powering right through my November 2020 to do list, I thought I’d get right on that. (Yes, I do mean 2020. No, I am not a particularly efficient human being).

Some months the chosen beer could be the very best thing I’ve sipped in the previous four weeks; other times it could be a beer with a great story or just something weird and unique (but weird doesn’t cut it alone – it must always taste good). I will try to focus on new brews, but sometimes an old classic could slip in.

As I believe I mentioned earlier this month, I am not a disciple of Dry January. I have nothing at all against anyone who observes it, it’s just not my MO. But I have been looking for ways to cut down on the booze a bit since 2022 began. A way to pace myself you could say. And just as is the case for most things in life, there’s a beer for that: Entrepid Brewing’s Pacer.

Pacer is a 3.9% ABV pale ale, hopped with Citra and Mosaic. It’s neither hugely bitter nor massively hoppy, but it does have a delightful whiff of tropical fruit about it. Light-bodied and well carbonated, it’s very refreshing – perfect for those crazy hot days we’ve been having lately (at least those of us in the Cape).

It has enough hop flavour to keep the average beer nerd’s interest, at least for a while. But don’t drink it thinking it’s going to have all the flavour and all the body of a higher ABV beer. For me, this is a beer that lives up to its name – it helps you to pace yourself, so even if you don’t decide to drink it all day, you can sip on a can in between your 5-6% beers and perhaps make the afternoon last a little longer. Give it a try.

Pacer Lite Beer is brewed at Featherstone Brewery in Grahamstown (Makhanda). It’s available from Entrepid’s online store (R90 for a four-pack), and at kwench in Sea Point.