Chicagoist's "Beer of the Week:" Lagunitas "Little Sumpin' Sumpin'" Ale

By Chuck Sudo in Food on Nov 12, 2010 10:20PM

Last night we went to Jake Melnick's to watch Pat "Deep Dish" Bertoletti, Tim "Gravy" Brown and other competitive eaters try to shove as many of Melnick's XXX hot wings (made with the Bhut Jolokia pepper) down their craws in a five-minute span. It was more disgusting than we can imagine, and we can conjure up some severe images of gastrointestinal distress. We were getting sick watching.

Digressing, the beer we drank while watching the gluttony unfold was Lagunitas' summer ale, "Little Sumpin' Sumpin'." This pale wheat ale is chock full of tropical fruit notes and the spicy hops that have come to define West Coast pale ales. But it goes down smooth; all that flavor masks a heavy 7.5 percent ABV content. Three or four of these and you could be ready to sign Jake Melnick's waiver and tear into some of their wings. It was fortuitous that, on a balmy November evening, Jake Melnick's still had this summer beer on tap.